Never Forget
by IAmJohnLocked4Life
Summary: He never forgot what the man did for him, but how can one event change his life and how can he live with hmiself when he knows that it was his fault
1. Bedtime Stories

Harry walked up the stairs to check on his son, Albus Severus. He wasn't sure if Albus was awake, but if he was, Harry was sure that Albus would want to tell him a story. It was always the same story about the war hero, Severus Snape, who died tragically during the final battle in the second wizarding war. Albus only thought it was a story, a creation of his father's imagination. He was, however, mistaken. It did actually happen, and Albus was so young, he could not see that it was a very hard story for his father to repeat.

Some would say that they final battle was Harry's shining moment. True, he did defeat the greatest dark wizard of all time, but dredged up so many bad memories. So many people died that night. Even though the story brought on terrible feelings and memories, Harry still told the story to Albus.

"It's time to go to bed, Albus." Harry said as he approached his son's door.

"Can you tell me a story Dad?"

"What story would you like me to tell?" Harry asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Can you tell me about Severus Snape?"

"I can, but you need to get ready for bed."

Albus quickly laid down, and pulled the quilt up to his chin.

"I'm ready dad." Albus said with a smile.

Harry sat down on the side of his son's bed.

"_Okay. There once was a boy named Severus Snape, who lived on Spinners End. Now Severus was a wizard, and ,when he was about eleven, he met a girl named Lily Evans. Lily was a witch and could perform magic just like Severus. Lily was a special Witch though. She was a muggle born, which means that she could perform magic, but her parents could not. She was very kind to Severus. She didn't care that his family was poor. She just saw Snape for who he was. That summer, Severus told Lily all about Hogwarts. She was very excited about attending Hogwarts with Severus, they thought for sure that they would be in the same house at the school."_

"_That did not happen, though. Lily was sorted into Gryffindor and Severus was in Slytherin. Now Gryffindor's and Slytherin's have a very strong dislike for each other, but that didn't stop Severus and Lily from hanging out with each other. They had all of there classes with each other. Over the years, they became even closer. Since Severus had arrived at Hogwarts, he was being bullied by some of Lily's housemates, one in particular was a boy named James. Lily always defended Severus, even though she did question some of the kids that he had begun hanging out with. There was one time where she tried to defend him during their fifth year at Hogwarts. Severus was so upset that he got angry at her. He called her a mud blood, which is a very bad name for muggle borns"_

"_When he realized what he did, Severus went and tried to apologize. Lily would not accept it though, because she was done with all of his excuses. Lily knew that Severus had been calling people of her birth mud bloods, so Lily asked Severus why is she different? Severus had no answer for her, because he did not want to tell her the real reason. He loved her, and that was the only reason that Severus treated her differently. Lily was also angry with Severus because she knew that he was going to become a death eater. They are followers of Lord Voldemort, who was the greatest dark wizard of all time. That was the last time that Severus always talked to Lily. Severus became a death eater, and even though he had not talked to her, Severus still thought about Lily. Lily finished school and James, the boy who tormented Severus in school. Together Lily and James joined The Order of The Phoenix. The Order was a group that fought against Lord Voldemort. Lily had given birth to a baby boy, who was only a year old when Snape over heard a prophecy. The prophecy began like this 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, Born to parents who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month ends.' But this was all that Severus managed to hear before he got thrown out of the bar. After hearing the prophecy, Severus ran to the dark lord, telling him everything that he heard. The Dark Lord decided that the boy in the prophecy was Lily's son."_

"_When Severus heard that he begged that Lily be spared. Voldemort's only reply was that he would consider it. Severus knew otherwise. Voldemort was going to kill Lily, and Severus wouldn't let that happen if he could help it. So, Severus set out to talk to Albus Dumbledore. Severus pleaded with Dumbledore to hide Lily and her family. In return, he would do anything, for his love of Lily outweighed his duty to Voldemort. Well, Dumbledore hid Lily and her family. Severus, in return, became the potions master at Hogwarts and a spy against Voldemort. This sacrifice didn't do anything to help. Lily and James put their trust in the wrong person, and that person betrayed them to Voldemort. He found the place where Dumbledore had hidden them and killed Lily and James. Voldemort tried to kill their young son as well, but he could not succeed. The killing curse, meant for the small boy, had rebounded and destroyed Voldemort."_

"_Dumbledore got word of what happened and delivered the boy to his Aunt and Uncle's, with only a note of how important this young child was to the wizarding world, and that he was to be kept save. Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore called Severus up to his office and delivered the terrible news. Snape was overcome with grief at the murder of his only friend. It felt like his world was over. Severus told Dumbledore that he had wished that he was dead, but Dumbledore told him that he would be of no help to anyone. Dumbledore needed help protecting Lily's son and Severus would be the one to help him."_

"_He does not need protection. The dark lord has gone-" Severus told Dumbledore._

"_The Dark Lord will return, and the boy will be in terrible danger when he does." Dumbledore argued._

_Severus agreed to help Dumbledore, but no one could know. When her son came to Hogwarts, Severus watched over him from afar. Severus didn't like the boy though. He was too much like his father James, who had bullied Snape in school, but Severus still watched over the boy. He saved Lily's son multiple times throughout the boy's time at Hogwarts. During his first year, Severus saved the boy from falling off a bewitched broomstick, and The boy defeated Voldemort once again after meeting him in a weakened form. _

"_During the boy's second year, the heir of Slytherin opened The Chamber of Secrets. Many of the students at school thought that it had been Lily's son because he could speak to snakes, which only Salarzar Slytherin could do. It turned out that Voldemort, who had managed to possess one of the boy's housemates, opened the Chamber of Secrets and was, rightfully, the heir of Slytherin. The housemate that Voldemort had possessed had almost died, but Lily's son had saved her and killed Voldemort for a second time, but this next success would not come without a price. The boy had almost died, but he managed to live with the help of a Phoenix."_

"_During his third year of school, a prisoner had broken out of Azkaban. The prisoner, a man named Sirius Black, had been there for killing twelve muggles and a wizard named Peter Pettigrew. Sirius had been a friend to James Potter and had participated many times in the bullying of Severus Snape. It was also thought that Sirius had betrayed the Potter's and that he was the reason that they were dead. Sirius broke out of Azkaban and tracked down James' son, with the help of another school friend of his and James, Remus Lupin. Lupin was the boy's professor that year, and it was thought that he had helped Sirius break into Hogwarts. At the end of the year, the boy had run into Sirius. Many believed that Sirius wanted to kill the boy; however, he just wanted to explain everything. With the help of Lupin, Sirius explained to the boy that he had not betrayed his friends or killed anyone. Peter Pettigrew had killed those muggles, faked his own death, and betrayed the Potters to Voldemort. He also confessed that he was the boy's godfather, which the boy knew by means of eavesdropping on a conversation. While they were explaining this to Harry, Snape found them and tried to take Sirius back up to the castle. The boy, not wanting his Godfather to go back to prison, hexed Severus. The boy would regret this though, because once outside, Lupin transformed into a werewolf. He tried to attack the boy, but Snape protected the boy and his friends. Even though Sirius had escaped the prison, he was still on the run because there was no proof that he was innocent."_

"_The boy's fourth year came around, and this was a particularly exciting year because the Triwizard tournament came to Hogwarts. This is a very old tradition where three schools get together, and compete for the Triwizard cup. Each school has one champion, but this year was very different. Hogwarts had two champions. The boy was one of them, along with one of his schoolmates, Cedric Diggory. The thing that startled people the most was that the boy was not old enough to compete, but he was forced to because of the rules. There were three tasks that the champions had to complete. The first was getting a golden egg from a dragon. The second was finding a way to rescue a friend who was being held captive under water. The final task was to make your way through a maze to get to the triwizard cup. The boy and Cedric Diggory both grabbed the cup at the same time, causing them to be transported to a graveyard. In this graveyard, the boy watched Cedric die and Voldemort come back to power. The boy managed to get back alive, with Cedric's body, and tell Dumbledore that Voldemort was back. As you can imagine, the boy almost died that night in the graveyard, but that night the boy almost died twice. A man, who had pretended to be the boy's DADA professor, had tried to kill him that night as well. Severus was there to save the boy again. One of his death eater friends, who had been the headmaster of one of the visiting schools, wanted Severus to flee with him earlier in the year. Severus declined this offer. He never thought of fleeing, like his friend, when his dark mark grew darker. He had told his to Dumbledore and Dumbledore told Severus that he thought that they had sorted people into houses much too soon, for Severus was a much braver man than his death eater companion."_

"_After that fourth year, and throughout much of his fifth year, very few believed the boy when he had said that Voldemort was back. That year, the new DADA professor took control of the school and eventually became headmistress. One of the rules that she had was that there was to be no magic used in her class. This didn't sit well with the boy, so he created a group called Dumbledore's Army, and he taught his fellow schoolmates defensive spells. Also during that year, Voldemort began to invade the boy's mind. The reason for this was that he wanted the prophecy that had been foretold when the boy was born. This prophecy was the one that Severus had told Voldemort about, and since he did not hear all of the prophecy, Voldemort wanted to know the end of it. It was a new connection between Voldemort and the boy, and this new connection made many people worry. There were few who thought that this was a good thing. The boy was one of those who thought it was a good thing because it had saved the life of your Grandpa. Because of this connection, Dumbledore wanted the boy to learn to close his mind to these visions. He sent the boy to Severus, in hopes that he could teach him Occulmency. During his lessons, Severus told the boy that this connection would allow his mind to become a weapon, and that is exactly what it became." _

"_The boy got a vision that Sirius was being tortured by Voldemort for the whereabouts of the prophecy. Worried about his Godfather, the boy sought a way to save Sirius. This caused the boy to get caught by the Headmistress. She called Severus to give her a truth telling serum, but he had none left. The boy was desperate to find help so he gave Severus a cryptic message. "They had pad foot in the place where it is hidden." He had told Severus. When asked about what it meant, Severus told the headmistress that he had no idea what the boy was talking about. The boy had managed to escape from the headmistress, and go save Sirius. When he got to the place where he saw Sirius being tortured, he found that Sirius had not been there. The boy had led his friends into a trap. The boy managed to find the prophecy, then the death eaters arrived. They had come for the prophecy, but the boy would not give it to them. A huge fight ensued, and eventually the boy's friends had been captured. The boy was going to hand over the prophecy so that his friends would be freed, but before he could, Sirius and the Order came. The boy and Sirius fought two death eaters and defeated them, but that didn't stop the unthinkable from happening. A death eater, who was related to Sirius, cast the kill curse the hit Sirius. The boy was distraught over his Godfather's death, but he chased after the death eater."_

"_The boy was about to kill the death eater who had taken his Godfather from him, when Voldemort appeared and tried the kill the boy. Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere and saved the boy from a certain and early death. The fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort was a very short fight because Voldemort disappeared. Dumbledore told the boy to stay where he was, for the professor feared that Voldemort would return. Voldemort did come back, but he was not visible. He came back and attacked the boy's mind again. The boy managed to fight Voldemort, causing him to come back. Voldemort made threats to the boy, saying that he would lose everything. By this time it was early morning, and people had started arriving to work. One of them was the Minister of Magic, and when he saw Voldemort, he knew that the boy had been telling the truth all along."_

"_Back at Hogwarts, The boy had blamed himself for his Godfather's death. He was angry that Sirius had died. Dumbledore had explained to the boy that Severus had gotten the message and told the Order what was happening. They had also discussed the prophecy and how one of the them, the boy or Voldemort, had to kill the other because neither could live will the other was alive. That marked the end of the boy's fifth year. Over that summer, Dumbledore found a ring that had been cursed. Dumbledore had put it on, and almost died. Had it not been for Severus, he surely would have died. Severus was able to trap the curse in his hand after Dumbledore had destroyed the ring. Both men agreed that Dumbledore had a year, at best, left to live. No one except them had know about this when the new school year started. The boy was very worried about Dumbledore's hand, but the headmaster assured him that there was nothing to worry about; however, there was a lot to worry about. Dumbledore knew of a plan that Voldemort had. He wanted a boy named Draco, whose parents were death eaters, to kill Dumbledore. Since Dumbledore knew of this plan, he had asked Severus to help Draco while he was at school. Lily's son had an idea that Draco was up to something, but he couldn't prove it. Near the end of the year, the boy was summoned by Dumbledore to accompany him on a journey, which would aid in the downfall of Voldemort. The boy went with him, making sure that his friends were watching Draco, because the boy had a feeling that something was happening that night."_

"_The boy went with Dumbledore, and they had managed to find a Horcrux. A Horcrux is an object in which someone can place a piece of there soul in it, causing that person to be invincible until that piece is destroyed. This Horcrux had a piece of Voldemort's soul in it. Getting this Horcrux was very dangerous, causing the boy to almost die and Dumbledore to weaken himself in order to obtain it. Once they had the Horcrux, the duo apparated to Hogsmead and saw the Dark Mark hanging over the school. As they made there way up to the school, the boy feared that one of his friends was dead because the Dark Mark meant that someone had died. When they had reached the school's astronomy tower, Dumbledore was weaker than ever. He asked the boy to go get Severus, and bring him up here. The boy, most unwillingly, began to go get Severus, but he had been hit with a body binding curse. No one could see him because he was under a cloak of invisibility. He watched as Draco disarmed Dumbledore, and confess to him about how he had tried to kill the headmaster, but only end up hurting students. More of Draco's comrades, whom he had managed to smuggle into the school, joined him and Severus was the last person the join Draco and the other death eaters. The sight of Severus joining the Death Eaters shocked Lily's son because he did not know where Severus' loyalties were. Lily's son thought that Severus was a bad guy, but didn't understand why he was always protecting the boy. Lily's son watched as Severus killed Albus Dumbledore."_

"_The Death Eaters fled and the boy gave chase. When they had found there way to the grounds, the boy shot a curse at Severus. Severus blocked it easily. The boy shot a spell that Severus that he had found written in his potions text book. This spell angered Severus because it was a spell of his creation. The boy called Severus a coward and tried to kill Severus, but the spells kept being blocked. Severus blocked a powerful spell that came back at the boy, causing him to fall over, and giving Severus the chance to get away. The boy went to Dumbledore's body, and found the Horcrux that they found only hours before. It turned out that the Horcrux was not real, which meant that Dumbledore had died for nothing. Over the summer, The boy kept playing Dumbledore's death over and over in his mind, much as he did Sirius the year before. He vowed that if he ever met Severus, he would kill the coward. That summer, he was also able to leave his Aunt and Uncle's house. The Order helped move the boy to his friends house. On the way there, they fought the death eaters and Voldemort. After they had arrived, one of the boy's professors was dead, one of his friends was hurt, and the boy's owl was dead. The boy had almost died, but his wand had acted on its own, driving Voldemort away. Also during that summer, the Minister of Magic was killed and the ministry had fallen. Even though the boy had one more year of school, he did not return to Hogwarts. He had to finish finding the Horcruxes and he had to defeat Voldemort. The boy and two of his friends who came with him almost died on multiple occasions. They had most of the horcruxes, but the last one they needed to find was at Hogwarts, so that is where they went."_

"_The moment that the trio had returned to Hogwarts, Voldemort and his followers appeared as well thus causing an enormous battle. During that battle, the boy watched Severus die at the hands of Voldemort. When Voldemort had disappeared, The boy went to Severus' side. Severus gave the boy some memories, and shortly after that death took Severus Snape. The boy took the memories and looked at them. The memories showed the boy that Severus knew Lily, and that Severus had been a good man after all. He learned that Severus killed Dumbledore because Albus was already dying. The boy also learned that he would have to willingly give himself up to Voldemort, and allow himself to be killed. And that is exactly what the boy did. He marched up to Voldemort and gave up his life. The only thing wrong with that is the boy did not die. He was alive. He waited and finally, once and for all, killed Voldemort."_

"_Many had died during that battle, and everyone hailed the boy a hero. However, the boy tried to tell everyone that Severus was the real hero, that Severus gave far more than the boy ever could. No one listened to the boy though. When it was time to bury those who had died, The boy volunteered to write Severus' eulogy because he knew that no one else would. In his speech, the boy only said good things about how brave, selfless, and courageous Severus was. It took a while but soon people started to see that Severus was a very good man. The ministry gave him war medals even though he was dead. Now Severus, who was always thought of as a death eater, was thought of as the man who helped change the Wizarding world for the better." _"Now it is time to go to bed, son."

Harry god up, tucked his son in and left the room. Harry made his way down to the living room as a tear ran down his face. He didn't enjoy telling Albus about Sirius and Dumbledore's death because he felt as if those deaths were his fault. He didn't even know whose death affected him more. Sirius was the father and brother that he never had all rolled into one and Dumbledore had always been there for him. Harry had to push it out of his mind, or he would break down. Brushing a tear from his face, Harry sat down on the couch and put his arm around Ginny.

"I love you Ginny." Harry whispered to Ginny, who was reading a book.

"I love you too, Harry." Ginny looked up. "Did Albus make you tell him that story again?"

"Yes."

"I've told that boy to stop asking you. He's much too young." Ginny voice had a hint of exasperation.

"He doesn't even know that it is real, honey."

"Yeah, but he doesn't see that it hurts you to tell him that story."

"It doesn't matter. I am okay with telling him that story. I think he looks up to Professor Snape. I think that it is important for him to have a hero at his age, I never did."

There was a sound of a door opening upstairs.

"It sounds like Lily is awake. I'll put her back in bed." Ginny got up and left the room.

This gave Harry a moment to breathe and relax. He caught a picture of his family on the mantle of the fire place. He had a beautiful wife and three great children. If Snape and Sirius were alive, they would have been proud of Harry.

"_I really need to stop dwelling on the past." _Harry told himself.

A telephone ringing brought Harry out of his thoughts and pulled him back into the present. Harry reached over and picked up the phone.

"Hello." He answered.

"May I speak to Harry James Potter?" The voice said.

"This is him."

"I have something that may be of importance to you. Meet me tomorrow night, 10 o'clock, at the place where it ended for the one he ever feared. Don't be late." The dial tone buzzed in Harry's ear before he could respond.

Harry took the phone away from his ear, but did not set it down. He sat there staring at it in disbelief until he heard Ginny speak.

"Who was that?" She questioned

"No one." Harry answered. "Someone who wants me to meet him tomorrow night."

"Do you know who he is?"

"No."

"Where does he want you to meet him?"

"He said 'where it all ended for the only one he ever feared.'" "He wants you to meet him at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah."

"Well are you going?" Ginny questioned with worry in her voice.

"I have to. He said that he had something important to tell me. His voice sounded familiar, but the person who it belongs to is dead. I may have imagined it though."

"I think you are just tired." Ginny encouraged

"I think you are right. It couldn't possibly be him."


	2. The Mystery Man

"Are you still thinking of going to the school?" Ginny questioned after dinner.

Ginny and Harry were in the kitchen washing dishes, while the children were out in the living room playing games.

"Yes. I need to find out what this person wants, and who this person is." Harry replied.

Ginny touched Harry's arm, causing Harry to meet eyes with Ginny.

"How can you be sure that it isn't a trap?" Ginny's eyes began filling with tears.

Harry put his arms around Ginny, and held her tightly.

"Ginny, I really don't know that it is a trap. I am; however, an accomplished Auror, and anyone who wants to fight an Auror is looking for a death sentence. I can handle myself if it is a trap. You know that."

"I'm not saying that you can't. It's just…."Ginny looked up at Harry. "What if you get hurt or worse?"

Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out two gold coins.

"Take this." He said as he handed a coin to Ginny. "Do you remember how we used these for Dumbledore's Army? If I am not back by morning, change the number on the coin to four. If I do not respond within five minutes by sending you a number five, let the ministry know that I have been taken. It won't come to that though because I will be home by morning, and everything will be fine. I promise you that much." Harry kissed Ginny on the forehead as he wrapped his arms around her again. "I love you, Ginny."

"I love you too, Harry." She said as she returned the hug.

The two of them sat there for a long time, and finally when they released each other, Harry spoke.

"Everything will be fine, Ginny. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Harry grabbed his coat, kissed his kids goodnight, told Ginny that he loved her again, grabbed his broom, and set off for Hogwarts. He was going to be there early to make sure that it wasn't a trap. Harry had been distracted all day with the idea of returning to the astronomy tower. He had not been up there since Dumbledore had died, and he told himself that he would never return there, for fear that it would dredge up bad memories. Now that is was flying, all of those worries left him and his mind went numb.

After two hours of flying, Harry could see the outline of the school. He knew that he was over Hogsmead, and he stop the memory that was coming back to him.

_He was flying along side a very weak Albus Dumbledore at break neck speeds, and the only thing that was going through his mind was what the dark mark meant._

"_Please don't let anyone be dead. Please let no one be dead." Harry kept repeating in his mind as he landed on the Astronomy tower with Dumbledore._

Harry touched down very quietly on the Astronomy tower. Placing his broom on the floor, Harry looked around the tower. There was no one there, so Harry took a seat on the stairs. He was half an hour early. He had time.

"_Professor." Harry called._

_Dumbledore had collapsed on the floor._

"_Get….Severus…..Harry." Dumbledore whispered between short gasps for breath._

_Harry had no idea why Dumbledore wanted Snape, when he was only hurt and needed Madam Promfrey. Harry did promise Dumbledore that he would follow orders. Harry, who threw his invisibility cloak on, turned around and was about to find Snape. Something happened and Harry couldn't move. He had been hit with a body binding curse. No one else was up there with them, so why did Dumbledore immobilize him? Draco Malfoy suddenly appeared and, for the next fifteen minutes, he spilled his guts to Dumbledore about his plans and how he got the Death Eaters into the school. He told Dumbledore that he had to kill the Headmaster or else he was going to die at the hands of Voldemort._

_More Death eaters arrived, and they tried to pressure Malfoy into killing the weak Headmaster. Then Snape came seconds later. Up until then, Dumbledore had not allowed himself to show the Death Eaters how weak he was. _

"_Severus…Please." Dumbledore begged, finally showing weakness and fear._

_It only took two words from Snape to end the life of Albus Dumbledore. That jet of green light hit the Headmaster in the chest, sending him over the edge of the Astronomy tower. And all Harry could do was watch._

Harry was so absorbed in that memory that he had no idea that he was weeping. He tried to shove the memory out of his mind, but he could do nothing to stop it from coming. He had watched the greatest wizard of all time die, and he could do nothing to stop it.

Harry got off the floor and stood where he had been immobilized that night. He turned to face where Dumbledore had been standing, and he cried. Now he could cry as he watched Snape kill Dumbledore in his mind. Harry wiped his eyes, and looked at his watch. It was ten o'clock. Where was this mystery man?

"Potter." A voice growled from the darkness.

Harry whirled around, pointing his wand in the direction of the voice. His mind was focused, listening for the sound of anyone else being present.

"I mean no harm." The voice said again.

The voice belonged to a man, that much Harry knew, but he did not know anything else. A man stepped from the shadows. His hands up in front of him, showing Harry that he was not going to be harms. Harry lowered in wand in shock.

"Professor…."

"Snape." Harry gasped in disbelief as Snape stepped from the shadows. "No, This is not possible. This can't be real. I must be dreaming."

"You are not dreaming, Potter. This is very real."

"It can't be. I watched you die fifteen years ago. I watched you take your last breath. This can't be real." Harry repeated, still not believing that Snape was standing in front of him.

Snape stepped forward and violently punched Harry in the stomach. Harry, taken by surprise, dropped to one knee and gasped for air as it was expelled from his body.

"What was that for?" Harry questioned, when oxygen had returned to his body.

"Did that hurt?" Severus replied.

"Of course it did. You just punched me in the stomach for no reason."

"Then you know that it is not a dream. Now stand up." Snape offered a hand, seeing if Harry would take it for help.

Much to Snape's surprise, Harry took his arm and pushed himself to a standing position. He grabbed the professor's shoulder for more balance, and once he was standing, he left it there for a moment.

"You can remove your hand, Potter. I am sure that you are not going to fall over."

"Sorry, Professor." Harry whispered, realizing what he did and he pulled his hand back to his side. "Fifteen years ago, I watched you die." Harry said, still in disbelief that Snape was alive. "But your still alive."

"Thank you for that very astute observation, Potter. No, I am not dead."

"What happened? Voldemort's snake attacked you. How did you not die?" Harry questioned, wanting to know why no one knew the Professor was alive.

"Do you not think that I would not carry healing potions with me? I was a spy against Voldemort and I was among his ranks. Did you think that I did not fear being captured and seriously injured? I value my life much more than that, Potter. I thought a great Auror like yourself would have thought of that. Once you left the Shrieking Shack that night, I quickly healed myself and disappeared."

"Why didn't you let someone know?"

"I just told you, I valued my life. There were Death Eaters who managed to flee that night. There would do anything to kill the man who was traitor to their leader."

Now that the initial shock was over, anger filled Harry from top to bottom.

"Well do you know what I did while you were hiding? I managed to kill Voldemort and everyone hailed me a hero. I kept trying to convince them that you were a hero too, but no one would look past you dark mark. No one would say anything at your funeral, so I wrote you eulogy."

"Yes, and it was very nice." Snape interrupted.

"You were at your own funeral?"

"Yes, and your speech was good."

"You were at your own funeral?" Harry asked again in disbelief.

"Will you stop blubbering like a buffoon. I was the old man who sat on the isle in the second row." In his mind, Harry went back to Snape's funeral and saw the old man that Snape was talking about. "I stayed a few minutes after…" Snape continued. " You came up to me and I told you that he would have enjoyed it."

"That was you. You know that you can be sick sometimes?"

"I've been told that before."

"Well, we discovered that your portrait had not appeared in the Headmaster's office. Everyone said it didn't appear because you were a death eater. I kept trying to tell them that you were a hero. It took me years to convince them that you were a hero. The Ministry gave you an award for going above and beyond what was expected. After that, I got married to Ginny Weasley and had three kids. We even named one of them after you. Every night he asks me to tell your story and I tell it to him, even though it pains me. I tell it because he looks up to you. You are his hero. He thinks your dead, but it really turns out that you're not." Now the anger had all left Harry, leaving him exhausted.

"I know how your life has turned out." Snape whispered.

"Now it makes since why your picture never appeared in the office. What have you been doing all these years? I know that we would of heard if someone saw you."

"I lived in a small town and became an Apothecary. No one knew I was alive. I know what you went through because I still watched over you. I kept Dumbledore's promise and protected you."

"I don't believe you."

"Why do you think that Riley Wulfric didn't blow you through the wall with that curse? It stopped a few feet in front of you and disappeared, correct?"

"That was you?"

"Yeah, it was me. I did it because you weren't quick on the draw."

"You don't have to protect me anymore. I'm an adult and can take care of myself."

"No, Potter. I have to watch you even closer now. You have a family and if you die because of work, then your family is screwed. Oh, and speaking of MLE, how was work today? I have some information on that new case you got today."

"What do you know about this case?"

"3 muggles and 3 wizards dead. Muggle authorities don't know how they died, but we know that they were killed with the killing curse. If you look into their families, they are either muggle born, of related to a muggle born."

"I know what you are thinking. It looks like He's back, but he's not. I killed Voldemort myself. He is dead and never coming back."

"That's what you said about me. Am I not alive?" Snape questioned, taunting Harry slightly.

"Who's side are you on?" Harry said, angry that he was just made a fool of.

"I'm just stating a fact. I agree it is not him. How many of his followers are still alive?

"There is one alive, and 30 in Azkaban."

"Who is among those in prison?"

"Yaxley, Dolohov, Lestrange, and Rookwood are among them." Harry replied, thinking about those who were close to Voldemort back them.

"And what of the Malfoy's?"

"Lucius and Narcissa died in a car crash. Many think that someone got to them and killed them for running away from the battle, but It looks to be just a car accident."

"And Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Killed by Molly Weasley during the final battle. Draco still lives."

"Draco was a coward. He couldn't handle killing someone if his life depended on it. I would owl Azkaban and see if Yaxley is still there."

"Why Yaxley?"

"He is an unregistered Animagus. That was how Black escaped." Harry walked away from Snape and took a seat on the stairs, running a hand through his hair. "What is wrong, Potter?"

"I'm still shocked that you are alive."

Snape took a seat next to Harry, and put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I made the same mistake that Albus did during your fifth year. I was afraid to tell you because the time was never right. The way you acted toward me after I was attacked, I knew that you would be hurt by my death. I knew that you would also be hurt by the memories that I had given you."

"Why did you give them to me, if you knew what they would do to me?"

"Because I feared that I was actually going to die. But when I looked into your eyes and saw your mother's eyes, well I just had to fight. Once you left, I was able to give myself just enough healing care to apparate. At my home, I gathered my strength for a few weeks. I was planning to tell you at my funeral, but the way you acted…well I didn't think it was right to put you through the emotional blender. I wanted to tell you. I really did."

"You don't have to say anymore, Professor. You just had my best intentions in your mind. You didn't want to hurt me and that's fine. I'm just shocked." Harry turned to look at Snape. "How do you know that it's a death eater who is killing these people?"

"I was coming home one night and I could see a green glow coming from the windows of a nearby house. The glow quickly disappeared and as I approached the house, a man stepped out of the door. He walked up the street and knocked into me. I saw the mark on his arm. The house owner was found dead the next afternoon when he didn't show up for work."

"Did you see the man's face?"

"No, but I saw the mark."

"You should come and stay with me."

"No." Snape with a very defiant tone.

"It would only be until the case was closed. I want to make sure that you are safe because I am not losing you twice."

"He didn't see me, and he wouldn't recognize me. I had an disillusionment charm on me. He won't recognized me."

"Please. It's just a safety problem. Plus, my son would be very excited to meet you." Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out a picture of his family.

"That's James Severus Potter." Harry pointed to the picture. "He's nine years old, and can already beat me at chess. He is also crazy about Quidditch. My daughter, Lily Luna, is four years old and I would do anything for her." Harry moved his finger over to Albus and pointed to him. "And that is my other son, Albus Severus. He's eight years old and you are his hero. I think he would give up anything in the world to meet you once."

"It's a nice family, but I'm not so sure. I can tell you that whoever killed that man did not see me or recognize me. Plus, no one knows that I am alive and I would very much like to keep it that way."

"What name have you been using?" Harry asked, pocketing the picture of his family.

"Charles Prince, why do you want to know?" Snape asked

"That is how I will introduce you to my family, then. No one needs to know who you are. Though I am very sure that Ginny will recognize you, but I can tell you that, if you ask her, she will not tell a soul." It was quiet for a few minutes between the two men. "Professor, why did you choose up here for our meeting?"

"I needed a private place to speak with you. Yes, the Shrieking Shack would have worked but I needed to see if you would be angry at me. I watched while you were crying, and I am pretty sure that you were crying for both of us. If you were crying for me as well, then I knew that you couldn't be so angry at me that you would attempt to kill me."

"You're coming back with me?" Harry asked, but it didn't sound like a question.

"Are you giving me a choice?" Snape questioned right back.

"No, not really. I told you before that I am not up to losing you again."

"Well seeing as I don't have much of a choice, I will come with you."

That settled everything. As they walked through the grounds, both men reflected on their motives for staying with each other. Harry, of course, wanted to keep Snape safe and alive, but he couldn't see why his Professor argued about staying with him. It wasn't that Snape didn't want to stay with Harry. No, he was planning on saying yes if asked. Snape would only say yes because he had to watch Harry. Snape had a bad feeling that something was going to happen, and Snape had to be there when it did.


	3. Finding A Pattern

"He's alive!" Ginny yelled in a whisper.

Harry pulled her out of the kitchen when she almost dropped plates of food at the sight of Snape.

"Yes, he is alive." Harry whispered back to her.

He had already introduced Snape to his kids and James was talking to Snape about Wizards chess.

"Harry, he's suppose to be dead!" Ginny yelled again

"That's what I said when I saw him."

"He called you the other night?" Ginny was still clearly shocked at seeing Snape.

"Yes, and…."

"Why didn't you recognize his voice?"

"I told you that it sounded familiar. The last time I heard his voice, it wasn't the same because a snake attacked his throat."

"What is he doing here?" Ginny questioned, now in a calm voice.

"Snape is a witness to a string of murders that we are working on, which means that he needs to be kept safe. He told me that he would be happy to help you with anything that you needed, when he got back from work."

"What does he do?" Ginny questioned, turning back to the kitchen to look at Snape.

"He's an apothecary in Diagon alley. Snape leaves when I do and comes back before me. We are the only two people who know that he is alive."

"Why didn't he come back after the war?" Ginny questioned, turning back to Harry. "He would have been…."

"Thrown in Azkaban. Remember, people didn't think he was a hero until very recently. Now let's go back in there before the kids think you murdered me." It was meant to be funny, but all Harry got from Ginny was a deep sigh. "I love you Ginny"

"I love you too, Harry."

They walked back into the kitchen and sat now. It was like they never left.

"Do you have a middle name, Mr. Prince?" James questioned.

"I do. My middle name is Severus."

"That's my middle name, too!" Albus shouted, which cause Ginny to give him the look. "I was named after two war heroes." Albus said, quieting down when he saw the look that his mother was giving. "Did you know, Professor Severus Snape?"

"I did. He is my nephew actually."

Albus looked like he was going to explode with excitement.

"What was he like as a teacher?" Albus asked.

"Well, I am sure that your dad can answer that."

"Can you Dad?" Albus questioned, turning to look at Harry.

"Well…." Harry said, leaning back in his chair. "Professor Snape was a hard man to please, but he taught us a lot of things that helped us later on in life."

"Like what?" Snape asked, wanting to know what he could have possibly taught Harry.

"Well, he taught us to keep trying. I wasn't very good at Potions in school and Professor Snape made it known to everyone in my class. That didn't stop me from trying though."

"What was he like as a person?" Albus questioned Snape.

Snape didn't hear the question though because he was still staring at Harry in shock. He would never expect to hear that answer from any of his former students, least of all, Harry.

"Mr. Prince?" James called, bringing Snape out of his mind.

"Yes….I am sorry. What was your question?"

"What was he like as a person?" Albus asked again.

"Well, he was a very quiet man. Kept to himself most of the time."

"Mr. Prince, did you know that your nephew is my hero."

"I am glad that he is your hero; however, you must remember that Severus Snape was a human and humans make mistakes." Snape said, placing his cup down on the table. "He made a mistake that caused people to lose their lives."

"I know that, but he made up for his mistakes by becoming a spy. What else can you tell me about Severus Snape?"

"Albus, what is Mr. Prince tells you about Snape when he comes home from work?" Harry said, rising from his seat to clear the table.

"Can you, Mr. Prince?"

"I'd be glad to, Albus. James, your father tells me that you are very good at chess. When I was your age, I was also very good at chess. If you would like, I will play you in a game or two of chess."

"You're on, Mr. Prince" James nodded at Snape, then ran off to chase after his brother and sister.

Ten minutes later, Snape and Harry were walking out of the house. Harry saw Snape put on a bracelet and was curious about it, even though he didn't ask.

"It's a strong disillusionment charm, Harry. That way no one knows who I am." Snape said, without any questions from Harry. "Potter, after all these years you still haven't learned how to mask your true intentions."

"Sorry about that Professor. Listen, I really appreciate what you were telling Albus."

"It is not a problem. It is a very bright and curious child."

"When you talk to him this afternoon, can you just keep out our roles in the war."

"I wasn't planning on it. Albus is much too young to know that his parents were apart of the war." Snape said, looking at Harry as they walked down the street.

"Okay. I will see you tonight."

"Alright." Harry turned and began to walk away. "Potter!" Snape yelled, causing Harry to turn around. "Be careful."

"I will, Professor."

**Eight Hours Later**

Harry's day at work was chaos which meant that he didn't get a chance to look at the murders, so Harry brought work home with him. Harry walked into the dining room and placed a piece of paper down in front of Snape. It was almost dinner time, so everyone was gathered around the table.

"So, it's true?" Snape questioned with a hint of shock in his voice. He was surprised that he was right.

"That is tomorrow's front page." Harry said pointing to the paper in front of Snape. The paper had a picture of Yaxley, chained up, with a smirk on his face. The top of the paper read 'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WIZARD?' "It will be like last time all over again." Harry pointed out, remembering the manhunt had followed after Sirius broke out of Azkaban.

"They sent an owl before I got to work. They had only just realized that he…." Harry began to say before Ginny interrupted.

"Not at the dinner table." Ginny sternly said.

Harry sat down and, for the next few hours, he listened as his kids told him stories about their day. After dinner, Harry helped Ginny wash the dishes.

"I'm sorry for earlier." Harry whispered to Ginny.

"It's alright, Harry. You were just excited. So, how was work?" Ginny questioned as she handed the last of the dishes to Harry.

"Mad. That is the only way that you can describe it. No one had a chance to look over the cases, so I had to bring some work home with me. How was your day?"

"It was lovely. Professor Snape came home and helped me around the house. Then he kept the kids entertained while I did some other jobs around the house."

"Well that's good. You know how much I love you, right?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around Ginny.

"I _think_ you love me."

"You are right. I do love you and I love you more than you can imagine."

"I love you too, Harry. You have no idea how much I love you."

Once Harry put the last of the dishes away, the two of them went out into the living room where James and Snape are playing chess. Harry watched silently as he watched his son gain the upper hand, almost beating Snape multiple times. Finally, Snape won the game.

"That was a very good game, James. You almost had me there. You can have your rematch tomorrow, if you would like."

"I will find a way to beat you, Mr. Prince." James said

"Alright, kids. It is time for bed." Harry interrupted.

"Awww…really Dad?" The kids questioned in unision.

"Yes, you are up way past your bed times."

"Can Mr. Prince tell us a story?" Albus asked.

"Yeah, he tells really good stories." James agreed.

"Not tonight. It's time for bed. Mom will be up in five minutes." Harry said with a hint of force.

Harry's kids ran up the stairs, not wanting to get into trouble if they weren't ready. Once the room and staircase was clear of children, Harry looked to Snape.

"Are we going to continue our earlier conversation?" Snape questioned as he stood up

"Let's go in the kitchen, Professor" Harry answered, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"You can call me Severus now, Potter. I am no longer your professor." Snape told Harry.

"And I am no longer your student, so stop calling me by my last name. Plus, you will always be my professor."

The two men sat down at the table, and Harry pulled out the sheet of paper he showed Snape earlier.

"It took them almost a week for them to figure out that he wasn't there." Harry informed Snape, handing the paper to him.

"Figures." Snape took one quick glance at it, then placed it down on the table. "Are the other Death Eaters being questioned?"

"Why should they?" Harry inquired

"Back during Voldemort's reign of terror, The death eaters knew what the others were doing. The only exception to that was the inner circle. We kept our plans within the circle. Yaxley was apart of that circle, so if Yaxley had planned to escape then someone else had to know about it."

"I will make sure that they are questioned tomorrow."

"This seems way too easy." Snape whispered.

"What?" That was all Harry could say.

"Yaxley is a complex man. He sees things that aren't easily visible to others. Are these victims connected somehow?"

"I was planning on looking into that." Harry said as he reached into his briefcase and pulled out six file folders. "These files are filled with the victim's history. Hopefully, they can give us some insight."

So the two men got to work, each taking three files. It was silent between them, the only sound was the scratching of quill on parchment. When the men looked up from their files, it was almost midnight.

"Bloody hell." Snape whispered as he looked at the table. It looked as if a small tornado went across the table. There were papers everywhere.

"What did you find, Professor?" Harry questioned, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"A whole lot of random garbage. Financially stable with good jobs. Hardworking and good citizens. Each of them are related to someone who fought in the War."

"Isn't everyone." Harry said under his breath, just loud enough so that Snape heard. "Who are they related to?"

"Let's see." Snape answered, ruffling through the pile of papers to find a piece of parchment. "Victim 1: Frank and Alice Longbottom, victim 4: Ted Tonks, and finally victim 6: Remus Lupin."

"I have victim 2 being related to Albus Dumbledore, victim 3 is related to The Weasley family, and victim 5 is related to Lucius Malfoy."

"That doesn't make sense. Everyone except the Malfoys played a large part in the War."

The two men sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the new revelation.

"It's not the Malfoys who are important." Harry jumped and scrambled around to find a scrap of parchment. "It's who they are related to." Harry looked down for a second, writing furiously on the parchment. "Narcissa Malfoy is related to Bellatrix Lestrange." Harry pointed out, looking up at Snape. "And Bellatrix Lestrange is related to Sirius Black, who is my Godfather. No one but James and Lily knew that though."

"It is still a possibility. We should make sure that everyone has protection. Most importantly, you and your family." Snape pointed out.

"I can protect my own family. I need to make sure that Neville and Andromeda Tonks have protection. It seems like this list keeps getting longer." Harry whispered the last part to himself as he ran his hand through his hair. It was a sign of frustration and weariness.

"I think it is time that we both turn in." Snape spoke softly.

"I agree." Harry sighed. "Thanks for your help, Severus."

"You are welcome, Harry." He replied as he handed the files to the other.

Both men stood up, said goodnight to each other, and went to bed. Harry slowly ascended the stairs, not wanting to wake up his kids. When he reached his room, he quietly opened the door.

"Harry, remember that the kids are leaving tomorrow afternoon for their weekend with Ron and Hermione." Ginny reminded Harry as he climbed into bed, then falling back to sleep the moment that she stopped talking.

"I love you." Harry whispered quietly, so as not to wake Ginny.

Harry laid down and within a few seconds, he was asleep.


	4. Questioning The Death Eaters

Harry was awake before anyone else and he was out of the house, on his way to work, before the sun came up. The first stop of the day would be The Ministry of Magic. Harry walked up to the Head Auror's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." A gruff voice called.

Harry walked into the office and sat in front of a large oak desk, much like the one Dumbledore sat behind when Harry was at school.

"Harry, how are you doing?" Dawlish asked.

"I am doing fine, sir. I was wondering if I could speak to you about something."

"What is on your mind, Harry?" Dawlish questioned, turning to Harry.

"I think that Neville Longbottom and Andromeda Tonks require protecting."

"What leads you to believe that?"

"Well, I was doing some digging into the family histories of those who were killed by Yaxley since he broke out. The families are related in some way to people who played a major role is the War."

"Who else is related to them?" Dawlish inquired with a curious look in his eyes.

"The only people that are alive are those two and the Weasley family. I understand if you won't allow it, but I would like to continue working on this case."

"I am not going to pull you off of this case. I need everyone on it. What is the next thing you think we should do?"

It was rare that Dawlish asked someone for an opinion on the case, so Harry took the opportunity.

"I think we should question the death eaters that are sitting in Azkaban. They may know something about how Yaxley escaped and what he is planning next."

"Then round up your team and head over there. I will make sure that those people get protected right away."

"Yes, Sir." Harry said as he stood.

Harry was almost to the door when Dawlish called his name, causing him to turn to his boss.

"Harry, I see very bright things in your future if you stay with MLE. Now go and gather your team."

Harry did just that. When they got to Azkaban, Harry assigned his men two death eaters to question. Harry picked Rookwood and Rodolphus Lestrange. Rookwood was fairly compliant but he knew very little information. Rodolphus Lestrange was a problem though. Lestrange was apart of the inner circle and would most likely still be anti-potter. Harry entered the room where Lestrange was waiting, placing a file folder and a glass of water on the table.

"I thought I'd never have to see you again, Potter."

"Believe me when I say that the feeling is mutual, Lestrange."

"Well, what do you want?" Lestrange asked, his voice full of contempt.

"Yaxley?" Harry asked

"Ah yes, the second man to escape from a supposedly escaped proof jail." Lestrange jeered.

"Did you know that Yaxley was an animagus?"

"No, I had no idea." A smile crept across his face, but Harry ignored it.

"Did you know that he was planning on breaking out?"

"No."

"Did you know that he was planning on murdering six people?"

"Not that I can recall."

"So you had no knowledge,_ whatsoever,_ that Yaxley was planning on escaping jail or planning to murder three muggles and three muggleborns?"

"Ah, he's killing mud bloods. Is he?"

"Don't use that name?" Harry yelled.

Harry was trying his best to not allow Lestrange to get to him, but it wasn't working very well.

"That's right." Lestrange said, leaning forward. "I forgot that your mother was a filthy mud blood." Lestrange spat at Harry. Harry in response picked Lestrange out of his chair and slammed him against the wall.

"Don't you dare bring my mother into this conversation" Harry shouted.

"She didn't even fight back." Lestrange said, laughing. "She was in Gryffindor and she wasn't brave enough to fight back. She just sat there and accepted her fate. Your dad wasn't brave either, but at least he had a wand in his hand. He would have made a good death eater but instead he joined the bloody order of the phoenix. If you hadn't interfered, we would have succeeded in ridding the wizarding world of mud bloods, blood traitors and halfbloods."

"Would you kill two of your own to complete that mission?" Harry asked.

"Voldemort and his followers were pure blood through and through."

"Now see, that is where you are wrong. You had two among your ranks who were halfblood."

"You're wrong!"

"No, I'm not. Severus Snape, who was Voldemort's right hand man, was a halfblood. His father was a muggle and his mother was a witch."

"Severus Snape was a coward."

"At least he didn't run off like Igor Karkaroff."

"He ran off because he betrayed his lord. Karkaroff sealed his own fate."

"It's funny that you mentioned Voldemort because he was a halfblood himself."

Lestrange's eyes narrowed at Harry, but Harry could see the shock behind them.

"Everyone says that Slytherin is all about pureblood. I wonder what he would say if he found out that his heir was a halfblood."

"Lies!" Lestrange hissed, spitting at Harry once again.

"That's where you are wrong. Now you are going to answer my questions or I will send you to the dementors myself." Harry said, throwing Lestrange back into the chair that he had occupied. Harry walked to the other side of the table, wiping the spit off of his face. "Did you know that he was planning to escape?" Harry asked in a forceful voice.

"Yes. We all knew about it."

"Did you know that he was planning on killing people?"

"No. Today is the first time I am hearing about it."

Harry was unsure if he was telling the truth, but Snape's words came back to him from the night before.

"_The death eaters knew what the others were doing." _Snape had said.

He could be telling the truth, but there was no way to find out if he was.

"We are done here." Harry said, grabbing his file folder and glass of water.

Harry was just about to open the door when he heard someone call.

"Potter." Lestrange called.

Harry turned around and walked back to the table.

"Is there something else I should know?" Harry questioned, leaning forward with his hands on the table.

"When you find Yaxley…" Lestrange spoke while leaning forward. "make sure that you kill him."

"Why is that?" Now Harry and Lestrange were so close to each other they could touch noses if one of them moved.

"Because he is the reason that I am here and the Malfoys are dead."

Both men stared at each other for a little while longer and Lestrange was the first to move. He leaned back in his chair with a smirk across his face. Harry gathered his things once again and left the room.

"I'm done." He told the guards.

Harry walked back to the conference room where his team would meet him when they were done. Since Harry was the first one back, he began to pour over the file in his hand. His entire team was back within twenty minutes and they returned to the Ministry. Harry sat down at his desk to eat lunch, but he didn't eat. He closed his eyes trying to stop the headache that was pounding away in his brain.

Something was wrong and Harry could do nothing about it.


	5. A Twisted Mind

Harry stumbled into his house at two o'clock, which surprised Ginny.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Ginny questioned. "Did something go wrong at work?"

"Dawlish sent me home." Harry responded.

"He didn't fire you, did he?" Ginny gasped.

"No…..No he didn't. I fell asleep at my desk. He told me I looked sick and sent me home. He's wrong though because I am not sick, just tired."

Snape, who was sitting in the room and unseen by Harry, shared a similar look with Ginny. It was a look of confusion, but Ginny also had a hint of fear.

"Where are the kids?" Harry questioned, looking about the room.

"They are over at my brother's. They are staying the weekend, remember?" Ginny reminded him.

Harry had a look of confusion on his face for no more than a millisecond, but Snape caught it.

"Oh yeah, I remember." Harry told her, shaking his head in confidence. "I am going to go take a nap." Harry shouted as he began to ascend the stairs.

"I will be up there in a minute with some tea for you."

"I don't need it. I am not sick." He yelled as the door to his room slammed shut.

Snape moved the second that the door slammed shut. Ginny stood there frozen in shock and confusion.

"I will go check on him." Snape whispered to Ginny as he passed.

Snape almost ran up the stairs and knocked twice on the bedroom door when he arrived.

"Potter, I am coming in." Snape called as he opened the door and looked over to the bed. Harry was laying on his side, facing away from the door. "Potter." Snape called again as he inched closer to Harry. Something clearly wasn't right. It looked as if Harry wasn't breathing.

Snape ran to the other side of the bed and saw Harry, who had a white foam oozing out of this mouth. Snape instantly jumped into action. As he pulled Harry to the floor, he dug in his pocket and his hand closed around a walnut sized object. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket, forced Harry's jaw open and shoved it down the man's throat.

"Come on…..Come on, Potter." Snape whispered as his vision appeared to get darker.

Harry had to breathe soon or else he was going to die.

Suddenly, Harry's chest gave a great heave and he gasped. Harry was breathing. Snape gave a sigh of relief as his vision began to return to normally, but Harry's breathing was still very weak.

"Potter is not going to die, today." Snape reassured himself.

The door opened and Ginny gasped at the sight that greeted her.

"Ginny, we need to get him to St. Mungos now." Ginny disappeared and left Harry with Snape.

"Come on, Potter. Hold on." Snape whispered as he felt for a pulse. It was there but just barely. Snape had gotten here just in time. Ginny wasn't even gone for thirty seconds before two mediwizards and took Harry to the hospital.

Snape stayed in the room for a little longer, taking a sigh of relief. Had he been any later….Well Snape didn't want to think about that. He heard a sob come from the hallway and he walked into the hallway. Ginny was leaning against the wall, crying into her hands.

"Mrs. Weasley, look at me." Snape ordered, waiting for Ginny to look up. "Harry will be fine." Snape said when she looked up. "You need to call your brother and your parents. Tell them what happened and tell them to keep an eye out. I am going to Mungos. When you've made contact with your family, come." Ginny wiped tears from her eyes as she nodded her head. "Harry will be fine." Snape said as he slipped his bracelet on and apparated.

When Snape was gone, Ginny ran into the living room and grabbed the phone. She furiously dialed in the number and raised the phone to her ear.

"Come on….Come on, pick up." She whispered as the phone rang.

She didn't even realize that Snape had used her maiden name.

"Hello." A woman's voice answered.

"Hermione, it's Ginny. Are the kids anywhere around you?" Ginny questioned, wiping more tears from her eyes.

"No. Would you like me to get them?" Hermione answered.

"No, but you need to listen to me. There are Aurors on the way to your house now."

"They're already here and no one is telling us anything."

"Harry had this case and …." Ginny began, but Hermione interrupted.

"I know all about it."

"Harry thinks that you guys could be in danger."

"What?" Hermione inquired.

"He thinks that any major players in the war could be in danger. That is not why I called you though. Harry had been attacked."

"What happened? Is he okay?"

"I don't know. He was just taken to St. Mungos a few seconds ago. I think that he may have been poisoned. I am about to go over there now, but I need you to tell mom."

"I will tell her when we are done here. Is there anything else you need?"

"Please don't tell the kids. If they ask why some of Harry's friends are over, tell them…." But Ginny froze because she could not come up with something.

"I will tell them something. Don't worry about the kids. Go be with Harry."

"Thanks Hermione. Tell the kids that I love them."

"I will. Now go." Hermione said, hanging up the phone.

Ginny put the phone down on the table. Within seconds, the Potter household was empty. Ginny had gone to the hospital to be with Harry.

When Ginny walked in, the hospital was crazy. This was normal because doctors were running everywhere. What shocked Ginny was how chaotic the waiting room was. There were Aurors crawling everywhere and that was all Ginny could see at first. It took her a few seconds but she spotted Snape and started in his direction, only to be stopped by Dawlish.

"What happened?" Dawlish questioned angrily, putting his hand up to stop Ginny.

"Wouldn't we all like to know that. What the hell are you doing here?" Ginny questioned right back.

"One of my Aurors is hurt."

"Is that all he is to you? An Auror, a solider against evil. He's a human being. He's a father and husband, damn you. I swear to God if he doesn't make it, you will never hear the end of this!" Ginny yelled, no longer being able to contain her feelings.

"Ginny….Ginny, calm down." Snape said, running to Ginny's side.

"And who might you be?" Dawlish asked rudely.

"I am the one who saved her husband." Snape answered.

"And how did you do that?"

"He was poisoned and I had a bezor on me."

"Where did you come across a bezor?"

"I am an Apothecary. I had one with me from my shop as I normally do. I also have multiple healing potions on me."

"Why?"

"Old habit die hard, Mr. Dawlish."

A silence filled the room and Dawlish glared at Snape, as if he could kill with his eyes.

"Ginny's husband is hurt and she is in great distress. I would suggest that you leave her alone right now. Next time, I won't stop her from killing you." Snape turned and led Ginny over to a chair.

The only time that he had looked over his shoulder was to see Dawlish's expression. Dawlish was so angry that he kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to find words to say but he only managed to look like a fish.

Snape sat Ginny down in a chair, then knelt in front of her.

"I've talked to the doctors and told them what happened. Right now, they are trying to see how much poison is left inside him. Once they know, they will come and tell us how he is doing. Everything will be fine." Snape reassured her.

Snape stayed kneeling in front of Ginny, reassuring her from time to time that everything would be alright. Snape was on high alert, looking over his shoulder from time to time. He was looking to see if there was anyone there who would try to finish Harry, but he saw no one. Snape could see and hear someone pacing. That person could only be Dawlish.

"Will you sit down before I stick my foot up your ass." Ginny yelled after an hour of Dawlish's pacing.

Dawlish snapped his head up to look at Ginny. Snape saw this and he moved away from Ginny, giving her a clear path from where she was to Dawlish. This movement caused Dawlish to quickly, and most unwillingly, sit down.

"_Smart man."_ Snape thought, knowing exactly what Ginny could do when she was angry.

Snape moved back in front of Ginny, once again, telling her that everything would be okay. He could see that she was very anxious. He could understand that. Her husband was seriously hurt, and Snape was starting to get anxious as well. It should not be taking this long. The last time that Snape had to wait this long, it didn't turn out well. Last time, he had lost the only person in the world who meant something to him. Afraid that he was going to lose it, Snape pushed that thought out of his mind. He needed to be strong for Ginny, and could not afford to break down now. The door opened and a mediwizard entered the waiting room. Snape, Ginny and Dawlish all stood up that the same time.

"Sit down, Dawlish." Ginny barked and Dawlish fell back down into his seat.

Ginny and Snape approached the doctor.

"How is he?" Ginny questioned with a slight waiver in her voice.

"We have managed to get most of the poison out of his body. Right now, he is resting comfortably. We want to keep him here overnight and keep a close eye on him. We've started him on a round of fluids, which will flush out anything that we may have missed. Hopefully, he can return home by morning." The doctor explained.

Ginny had stopped paying attention. She was still thinking about the one important thing. Harry was alive.

"Do you know what type of poison was used?" Snape questioned.

"I have not seen this type of poison, nor has it matched anything in the database. We will have to wait and see. Maybe, Mr. Potter can give us some insight on what it was."

"Can I see him?" Ginny questioned.

"Follow me."

Snape and Ginny followed the doctor out of the room and down the hall for a few minutes. They stopped outside of a room after taking multiple turns through the halls.

"Go on in."

Ginny turned quickly into Harry's room, found the closest seat to him, held his hand and cried in relief at the sight of her husband alive. Snape crossed to Ginny and placed a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder

"Everything is okay, Ginny." Snape comforted.

He stayed there until Ginny had stopped crying, then took a seat on the other side of Harry. Sitting there, Snape took a sigh of relief. Harry was still alive and Snape had been there to save him. Was this why Snape needed to be here, to save him from being poisoned? Or was something even worse going to happen? Snape still had that uneasy feeling, and hopefully it would go away when he saw Harry get back home.

"Ginny." A weak voice whispered, pulling Snape out of his thoughts.

Harry had awaken, and even though he was weak, he smiled at the sight of Ginny sitting there.

"Oh, Harry." Was all that Ginny could manage.

She stood up and kissed Harry with tears of relief still filling her eyes.

"Where are the kids?" Harry asked

"They are over at my brother's. Hermione says that there are Aurors over there, so they are safe." She answered, running a hand through his hair.

Harry relaxed when he heard that his children were safe. When Ginny sat down, he grabbed her hand.

"What happened?" Harry asked, turning to Snape.

Snape, who had been sitting there quietly, looked up. Harry could see that he had been thinking hard. His elbows were resting on the arms of the chair, fingertips touching, right leg crossed over left, and the faraway look in his eyes told Harry that Snape may have known what happened.

"I believe that you may have ingested a very weak poison. Not weak in the sense of the toll it took on you. No that was very, very strong. Had the reaction time been strong, we would have received a call that you were here. This poison took a very long time to attack your system but when it did, it was bloody strong. I believe that you may have ingested it, maybe, two to three hours before you were sent home." Snape explained. "But I can not tell you what sort of poison you ingested."

"How did I get here?" Harry questioned, looking from Snape to Ginny.

"You got sent home early and went to take a nap. Professor Snape thought something was wrong, so he went to check on you. Luckily, he had a bezor on him. Professor Snape saved your life, Harry." Ginny spoke softly.

"Really." Harry looked to Snape for confirmation.

"I made a promise to someone long ago that I would do my best to protect you. I don't plan on breaking that promise until I am dead."

The door burst open and Dawlish stormed into the room.

"Harry, how are you doing?" Dawlish questioned, leaning on the foot of Harry's bed.

"I've been better, but I will live."

"I need to know what happened at Azkaban." Dawlish ordered.

Ginny spoke before Harry could explain.

"Azkaban!" She yelled at Dawlish.

Clearly she was more angry at Dawlish than she was at Harry, but how could she not be.

"We went to question the Death Eaters." Harry explained to Ginny. "It was my idea, not Dawlish's."

"Who did you question Harry?" Dawlish asked.

For the next twenty minutes, Harry explained to everyone what had happened at the wizard prison. When he finished, the room was eerily silent.

"Why did you punch him!" Ginny inquired incredulously, breaking the silence.

"He called my mother a coward, Ginny." Harry stated, matter of factly, like that explained everything.

"That was a very unsafe thing to do." Dawlish commented.

"Normally I would not agree with Dawlish, Harry, but I do. Rodolphus Lestrange was the most unpredictable person that Voldemort had in his ranks, after his wife of course. He's part of the reason why Frank and Alice Longbottom are….unreachable." Snape choose the last word carefully.

Harry knew exactly what Snape was talking about. Frank and Alice Longbottom were tortured by the Lestranges and other death eaters during the first war, causing the to become mentally insane. They still don't recognize their son's face. Doctors believe that their days are numbered and Neville is just waiting for them to die. He can do nothing about it, still believing that his real parents are in there somewhere. He knows that they know who he is, but the just don't show it. Harry shuddered at the thought of that happening to him. It was bad enough that his parents had died. To think that his parents were alive, but unreachable….Harry couldn't imagine.

"Do you think that Lestrange poisoned Harry?" Ginny questioned.

"I believe so. Back during the first war, Lestrange was second best at making deadly potions. He was even more mentally unstable back then and would lash out at death eaters who were fully committed, like himself and his wife, to Voldemort. The littlest comment could set him off. He wouldn't do anything in front of Voldemort, though. He would wait till the meeting was over, then kill the person who wasn't fully committed. Voldemort knew of course, but pretended like he didn't. I believe that He and Lestrange set up some sort of code so Lestrange knew who to kill." Snape answered.

"And how do you know this information?" Dawlish asked, suspiciously.

"When he was alive, my nephew told me a lot about Voldemort and his followers."

"And who might your nephew be?" Dawlish inquired, still suspicious.

"Severus Snape." Snape said defiantly.

Dawlish's face turned white very quick.

"If he wants me to kill Yaxley, why would he poison me?" Harry pointed out.

"I do not know. Lestrange has a twisted mind." Snape answered. "He may think that if he poisons you, Yaxley will try to attack you and you will kill him. Maybe he hopes that you will both end up killing each other. I can only speculate at this juncture. The only one who knows what goes on inside of Lestrange's head, is Lestange himself."

"There is no need to worry about Yaxley, Harry." Dawlish said with a booming voice. "You have guards outside in the hallway and people in the waiting rooms. You relax, I am going to go deal with Lestrange."

Dawlish strolled out of the door, passing Ginny who whispered under her breath. "Imbecile."

The door shut and Snape turned to Harry.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Potter." Snape suggested.

"I don't think I can sleep." Harry whispered to no one in particular.

"Harry, the doctor said that you should rest. I'm still going to be here when you wake up. So will Professor Snape. No one is going to leave."

And even though Harry was trying to fight it, he was asleep in minutes. Ginny was the next person to drift off to sleep about thirty minutes later. Snape stayed up for about another hour. Before falling asleep, He saw that the clock read ten. Harry was safe for now.


	6. Bearer Of Bad News

Snape woke up because of pain that he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a white hot, burning pain and it only took seconds for Snape to find the source of his pain. Letting out a groan of pain through gritted teeth, Snape carefully rolled up his left sleeve. Harry woke up, hearing someone in pain, and turned to Snape.

"What's wrong, Professor?" Harry whispered.

Snape did not answer as he took off the bracelet on his wrist. All of his attention was focused on his forearm. This could not be happening. The pain was so bad. It felt like he was being branded again, it was that terrible. This can't be good. Snape hadn't felt pain like this since Voldemort had died. The dark mark, which had been branded on his left forearm over twenty years ago was alive with movement, unlike its normally dormant state. Snape looked up at Harry in shock.

"What does it mean, Professor?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, but it can only mean terrible things." Snape answered through gritted teeth.

Snape's head snapped toward the door. Someone was coming. Snape put the bracelet back on and wrapped his hand around his wand, just in time for Dawlish to burst through the door. Ginny woke with a start.

"What's wrong?" she questioned sleepily.

Dawlish did not answer her, but addressed Harry instead.

"Yaxley just killed the Minister of Magic. The dark mark was spotted over his house. He also killed the Minister's guards."

"Bryan and Mark?" Harry questioned. They were two of Harry's friends who were guarding the minister.

"You knew their families best." Dawlish reminded Harry.

"I told you that we needed someone else. The had a wife and kids!" Harry yelled at Dawlish, almost jumping out of bed to strangle his boss.

"I know, Harry, but I didn't make the choice. The Minister did." Dawlish informed Harry, like he wasn't guilty for the two husbands death.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh, and slowly got out of bed. Ginny let out a sob. She was crying over the loss of her brother, the minister of magic, Percy Weasley. Harry stood up, the world slowly spinning as he did, and pulled Ginny into a standing position. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as she buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Ginny." Harry whispered over Ginny's sobs.

It was all that Harry could do to keep both of them standing. Harry's world was still spinning. He stood there with Ginny until she stopped crying. She sat back down after a good five minutes of crying. Harry sat back on the bed.

"I will tell their families after I take care of mine." Harry said to Dawlish before turning back to Ginny. "We need to go see your mother. She needs you there right now."

Harry was ripping an IV out of his arm and began to dress.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Ginny questioned, in shock of seeing her husband pull out his IV.

"We need to be at the Burrow right now. Your mother needs you and I am sure that everyone is over there. Let's go." Harry had to tie his right shoe and then he would be fully dressed.

"You're not 100%, Potter." Snape argued. "You still need to rest."

"I am leaving AMA." Harry said, standing up and walking to the door. "You can either come with me or go back to my house."

It was silent for a few seconds as Harry opened the door.

"I'm coming with." Snape replied.

"Okay. Let's go, Ginny."

The three of them left the hospital and apparated to The Burrow. Once Harry landed on solid ground, he staggered for a moment. Snape caught him before he could fall to the ground.

"Easy, Potter." Snape said, seizing Harry's arm.

"Let's get him inside." Ginny ordered.

Snape took Harry's arm and threw it over his shoulder, for Harry was walking slowly and Snape didn't know if someone could be waiting to attack. Leaning heavily on Snape, Harry entered The Burrow. Ginny ran to go find Mrs. Weasley while Snape carefully deposited Harry in a kitchen chair. Ginny rounded the corner with her mother, father, Ron and Hermione all following suit.

"Harry." Mrs. Weasley shrieked, running to give her son in law a hug.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Hermione questioned. "You should still be in the hospital."

"I'm fine. I had to come and tell you something." Harry said after Mrs. Weasley let go of him.

The room got uncomfortably silent.

"The dark mark has been spotted."

Mrs. Weasley and Hermione both gasped.

"Where was it spotted?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Over…Over the Minister's house." Harry struggled to speak.

The instant that Harry said the minister, Mrs. Weasley let out a wail of despair. She didn't have to ask. After living through both Wizarding wars, she knew that the mark meant death. Her son was dead. Mr. Weasley held his wife in a hug and Ginny walked over to console her mother. Ron, who was now sitting on the floor, stared in shock. Hermione crouched down and comforted Ron. The sight of the Weasley's grieving made Harry uncomfortable, even though they were Harry's family too. A long time ago, they would have grieved, but not like this. Percy was not popular during the war, but during the final battle he made up with his family and fought against Voldemort. If this made Harry uncomfortable, then it had to make Snape feel indecent. Harry turned to look at Snape, who just stood there with a stoic look upon his face.

Harry stood up and Ginny came over to him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" She questioned in a whisper

"There is nothing wrong. I need to speak with Mark and Bryan's wives." Harry whispered back.

"Harry, you're still sick. You need to lie down."

"They need to know what has happened and I need to tell them. They can't find out from the papers."

"You are still weak and you know it. You decided to leave early and we shouldn't have. Your body needs time to get rid of whatever poison is left."

"Okay, I do agree that it was a bad idea to leave early but I have to do this. You know that I have to do this, they were my friends."

"You don't _have_ to do anything Harry."

"No, I need to this. Please Ginny." Harry pleaded.

Ginny looked around for a moment, thinking about her answer. She didn't want Harry to go, but was that because she was afraid or was it because she had almost lost Harry that night?

"Go." She whispered, looking about the room.

"Thank you Ginny."

"I love you, Harry." Ginny had now turned to face Harry.

"I love you too." Harry whispered, kissing Ginny on the forehead.

Ginny walked over to her brother as Harry approached Snape. He had been looking out the window when Harry tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the door. Harry had only turned around once to make sure that Snape was following him. They walked through the yard silently, only speaking once they had crossed through the gate of The Burrow.

"Potter, where are we going?" Snape questioned as the night breeze picked up considerably. Harry looked up before answering Snape for the night sky had shown that a storm was coming.

"I am going to talk to Mark and Bryan's wives. I need you to come with me."

"What good am I going to do?"

"Trust me, I need you to come with me. Plus, I have to talk to you about something."

"Then let us talk here." Snape replied, stopping and waiting till Harry turned around.

"I think that we should tell my children who you really are."

"No." Snape said, interrupting Harry.

"Will you let me finish. I know that you don't want to but if something were to happen….well they trust you and they know that you can help them. We can make sure that they don't tell anyone."

"I trust your kids Harry. I trust them enough to know that they will not tell a soul."

Snape said followed be a moment of silence. "Let's tell them." Snape sighed.

"We tell them when we get home then. Take my arm."

Harry stuck out his arm and Snape took it firmly. Together the two men apparated to the North side of Surrey. Harry swayed a little bit and he could see Snape giving him a look of unease, ready to catch Harry if he fell over.

"I'm fine." Harry said, confidently walking away. Snape soon fell in step with Harry. "The first family we are going to go see is the Bellark family. Bryan Bellark once risked his life to save me from a burning building that Lestrange had set on fire." Harry said in a detached voice as they approached a house.

Harry knocked on the door, quiet loudly, and turned to Snape.

"Bryan has a wife and two kids ages two years and seven months." Harry shook his head thinking about Bryan's children. It's a shame that they should have to grow up without a father. No one should ever have to do that but Harry had seen it all to often after the war.

The locks began to click inside the door, which brought Harry away from his thoughts. When the door opened, a woman in her mid thirty's was standing before Harry.

"What?….oh Harry, what are you doing here?" The woman questioned sleepily. "If you want Bryan, he is not here. He's off guarding the minister tonight."

"Can we come in Betsy?"

"Why?" She suddenly snapped out of her sleepiness.

"I didn't come to talk to Bryan. I need to talk to you, so can we please come in?"

All Betsy could do was shake her head as she let the two men into her house. She locked the door behind them and walked into the living room.

"What is going on?" Betsy asked as she sat on the couch.

Taking a deep breath, Harry sat beside her on the couch. He had done this so much after the war, but it wasn't easy. To this day, it still isn't easy.

"Yaxley killed the Minister earlier last night. Bryan tried to fight him off. I am sorry." Harry didn't have to say more.

Betsy had gone pale and tears ran down her face.

"Bryan love you guys so much. He never stopped thinking of you."

Betsy let out a wail that would have been loud enough to wake Bryan and the rest of the dead. Harry put an arm around her shoulder as she cried. How many times had Harry done this before? After the war, he had to break the hearts of a lot of people by telling them that their loved ones were never coming back. He comforted many people and attended countless funerals. Many of those funerals had belonged to people Harry went to school with. Bryan's wife had stopped giving sobbing heaves and looked to Harry.

"How did he….die?" She questioned.

Harry really hadn't asked Dawlish how he had died. He really didn't want to know.

"It was like he fell asleep." Harry answered.

It was what Betsy wanted to hear. She had been afraid that her husband had died a slow and painful death.

"What about Mark?" She asked, knowing that Mark had been protecting the Minister as well.

"Yaxley killed him as well."

"Have you told Mary yet?"

"No. I am going to once I am done here."

"Go talk to Mary. She needs you more than I need you. Go to her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go." Betsy stood up and Harry followed her lead.

"If you need anything, let me know. I made a promise to Bryan to watch out for his family. I don't plan on breaking it."

"Thank you very much Harry. I will let you know. Now go."

Harry turned to Snape, who had been standing the entire time, and left the house. They walked down the street to the field that had appeared on.

"We need to apparate again." Harry said.

As if on cue, Snape took Harry's arm and they were gone. Both men recognized where they had landed. They were on Privet Drive. Snape looked around the place, making sure no one had seen, while Harry placed his hands on his knees. He felt like he was going to be sick. It was definitely a bad idea to leave early, and Harry was kicking himself for it. He felt Snape's hand on his back as the wave of nausea. Snape knelt down to look Harry in the face.

"We can sit for a minute it you need it." Snape suggested

"I'm fine now. It passed."

Snape stood up, not sure that Harry was really okay, as Harry straightened. Harry took a few steps and the world shifted violently. Snape caught Harry before he fell over.

"I've got you." Snape whispered, lowering Harry to the ground.

Once Harry was seated on the curb, Snape knelt in front of him. Harry looked like crap. There was a sheet of sweat on his face and a far away look was beginning to form in Harry's eyes. Snape took an empty bottle, one which he acquired from the hospital, and filled it with water.

"Here, drink slowly." Snape ordered as he handed the bottle to Harry.

Once Harry began to drink, Snape took Harry's wrist. Seeing as Snape was once a potions master, he knew a lot about the human body. Hopefully, Harry's pulse would tell Snape something. Snape found the pulse almost at once. Harry's heart was racing and Snape needed to calm him down.

"Harry, I need you to close your eyes and take deep breaths, while listening to my voice." He waited till Harry closed his eyes. "I want you to think about Hogwarts and pick one happy memory. What you feel should fill you up from your feet to your head, and I want you to continue thinking about his memory." After a minute, Snape felt Harry's pulse again to find that it was now at a normal speed. "Now I want you to open your eyes."

Harry's eyes slowly opened and the far away look in his eyes had gone away.

"Does your heart feel like it is going to jump out of your chest now?"

"No." Harry answered softly.

"Good. Now take one more sip of that water."

Harry did as was directed, looking at Snape as he handed back to the bottle.

"Thank you, Sev."

For a moment Severus saw Lily sitting before him but then saw Harry's face.

"_The boy does not know how much pain he just caused me." _Severus thought. "You're welcome Harry. Now I want you to slowly stand up."

It took Harry almost three minutes to stand up, making sure that he would not become dizzy. When Harry was standing fully, Snape spoke to him.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Much better, Professor."

They took off down the street slowly, walking in step with each other.

"Who are we seeing?" Snape questioned after a few moments of silence.

"The wife of Mark Evans." Harry answered. "Not the Evans that you are thinking of. I helped Mark escape bullies when we lived on privet drive. I thought for sure that he was a muggle, but he got his letter. He was muggleborn."

"How did he survive Umbridge's purge?" Snape asked in astonishment.

"There were some people who owed me favors."

That was all Harry offered and Snape didn't prod any farther. They continued in silence. When they approached the door, Harry knocked on it and let out a long sigh. This was going to be one of the worst things Harry had done in his life. Harry's watch read five when the door opened. The door swung open to reveal a short Mary Evans in her pajamas. Harry lifted his head and looked at Mary.

"Good morning Harry." She began to say, but stopped short. "Harry, what's wrong? Where is Mark?" She questioned quickly, verging of the edge of hysteria.

"_I was suppose to bring him home this morning." _Harry reminded himself.

He looked away from her in shame. Mary let out a howl of grief and Harry just managed to catch her before she collapsed to the ground.

"I'm so sorry Mary." Harry whispered over and over again.

Mary's sobbing hit him hard and he almost stood up and walked away. He couldn't do that to her though, so they stood up and walked into the living room. He and Mary sat on the couch, where she continued to cry for sometime.

"I can't imagine what you are going through, Mary." Harry whispered to her. "I plan on being here to help you because that's what Mark would have done for my family if I were gone. I will be here to help you. I'm so sorry." Snape put a glass of water on the table. "Here drink." Harry instructed, handing the glass to Mary.

"Thank you." She whispered to him.

Harry turned around to face Snape.

"Thank you." He mouthed to his professor, who gave a curt nod.

"Uncle Harry!" A child squealed and ran into the room.

"Michael." Harry said, scooping Michael up and onto his lap. "What is a five year old doing up this early?"

"I couldn't sleep." Michael answered, looking at his mother. "Uncle Harry, why is mommy crying?"

Oh how Harry did not want to do this. He didn't want to tell a five year old that he would never see his father again. He just didn't want to at all, but Mary was not able to form very many words.

"Well, mom is really sad….something…." Harry took a deep breath and began again. "Last night, a very bad man hurt your dad really bad. He got hurt so bad that it caused him to…fall asleep in a way."

"Will he wake up?" Michael asked.

"I'm sorry Michael but he won't. He won't be around but he is always watching you and your sister and your mom."

"Will he hear me if I talk to him?" Michael said, his eyes filling with tears.

"He will hear you but if he answers, you won't here him." Harry answered as his heart tore to pieces.

"I'm going to miss him." Michael admitted as a stray tear ran down his cheek.

"That is okay. I am going to miss him too. You can miss your dad because you loved him." Harry told Michael as he wiped a tear from the boy's face. "You have to remember that your dad didn't want to leave. He never thought about leaving you and your family. He loved you so much. Can you do me a favor? I want you to remember how much your dad loved you. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. I don't think I could forget."

"Good. I need you to do one other thing for me. I need you to help your mom out. If she asks you to do something, can you do it without arguing?"

"I can do that too, uncle Harry."

"Good. Now go back upstairs and try to go back to sleep."

Michael jumped off of Harry's lap.

"Bye, Uncle Harry." he called as he ran up the stairs.

"Thank you, Harry." Mary whispered after a door slammed shut up stairs.

"You're welcome. If you need help, please let me know. Will you be okay?"

"I will be fine today. Go be with your family."

"I'm very sorry, Mary." Harry said as he stood up.

Harry and Snape showed themselves out of the house. They traveled in silence to the spot where they had first apparated to.

"How did you get so good at that?" Snape said in a whisper, more to himself but Harry heard him.

"What do you mean?"

"You knew exactly what to say to Mary and her son."

"And you think I am good at that?" Harry yelled, stabbing at his chest. "It's hard to tell someone that their loved ones aren't coming back. I've had to tell hundreds of mothers that their children are gone. I've had to tell wives that their husbands aren't coming home. I've told one to many children that they will never be able to see one of their parents again." Harry spoke quickly, but the slowed down. "I have had to tell every single wizarding family that someone has died. Every family except the Prince Family. I thought that their last living family member was dead, but it turns out that I am wrong!" Harry shouted at Snape. "He could have been helping with the aftermath of the war, but no. He was hiding away. He let the son of the one whom he loved most think he was dead!"

Snape couldn't help but to look hurt. He felt like he had been stabbed in the back. He knew where the anger was coming from. Harry just wouldn't understand though. Snape didn't want to be in the spot light. He didn't want to be the hero. Snape would rather have died because of what he did to Lily.

"Are you coming?" Harry questioned calmly, holding out his arm.

Did he really just do that? Did Harry know what he just said?

"Harry what did you just say to me?" Snape quizzed Harry

"Professor, right now is the time for stupid questions. We need to get back now."

Snape, reluctantly, took Harry's arm and disappeared. They appeared at the fence of the Burrow and there was a loud thud. Snape looked to his left, where Harry was standing. However, he was no longer standing. Harry had collapsed and become unconscious.


	7. A Former Death Eater And His Story

Snape knelt down beside Harry's body.

"Harry…..Harry!" Snape shouted as he tried to shake Harry awake.

His hand quickly slid down to the boy's neck. There was a pulse and it was steady. Harry had been feeling sick before the met Mary Evans. This poison had been really strong and was most likely still raging hell inside of Harry. The floor had changed and Snape was no longer kneeling on dirt. It was a carpet and when Snape looked up, he found he was in the Potter household. This was where they both needed to be.

Snape conjured a cot and, carefully, lifted Harry into it. In the next few seconds, Snape had collected a few healing potions and spelled them into Harry. Now, Snape could only wait for the potions to do their job. Harry would wake up in a few hours, be really tired and sore, but the poison would be fully out of his system. Snape picked up the phone on the table beside him and looked at it. It had been a long time since he had dialed this phone number, but he remembered it well. Snape brought the phone up to his ear and waited to hear a Weasley answer at the other end. Ginny would freak out if she did not know where Harry was.

"Hello." Ginny answered.

"Ginny, It's Severus."

"What happened?" She asked quickly.

"Harry is okay." Snape began. "He passed out when we apparated back to the edge of your parents property. I brought him back home to make sure that he is safe and well. I thought it would nice if you knew where he was."

"Do you know when he will wake up?" Ginny whispered after giving a hearty sigh of relief.

"He should be up in a few hours."

"I will give the kids some time to pack and we should be at home in two hours."

"Let the kids take their time Ginny."

"Bye, Severus." She said quickly as if someone had entered the room.

Snape did not get a chance to say anything because the dial tone rang through the phone. Setting the phone down, Snape took a seat on the couch. He looked over to Harry, whose breathing had evened out since they arrived. There was a pitter patter on the window and Snape looked to his right. It was lightly drizzling and the clouds looked as if they could flood the world. Snape leaned back on the couch. Soon Harry's breathing and the sound of the rain would rock Snape off to sleep.

The sound that woke him up was the sound of movement. Harry was trying to sit up, but was unsuccessful in his attempts. Snape rocketed off the couch and went to Harry's side.

"Potter, lay down." Snape ordered in a whisper.

"Where are Ginny and the kids?" Harry questioned in a panic, looking up at Snape.

The look in Harry's eyes was one of fear. A fear that could only be associated with the fear that someone was gone forever.

"Potter, they are fine. They're over at 's. They will be home soon. Everything is okay." Snape shouted, taking Harry's hand in his own. He had to know that his dream was over. It was just a dream and it would never come true. "It's okay." Snape whispered as the back door opened. The kids ran into the living room and almost jumped Harry.

"Dad!" They shouted in unison

"Hey guys." He replied, letting go of Snape's hand and giving each kid a hug. "Why don't you guys sit down? I have to tell you something important."

The children, obediently, sat on the floor.

Harry motioned to Snape.

"Do you remember who we told you this man is?"

"Yeah." Albus replied. "That's ."

"That was the name that he told me." Harry began. "But that is not his real name."

"What is your real name then?" Lily questioned, looking to Snape.

"My real name is Severus Snape." He replied.

"See, I told you James. I told you that his name wasn't ." Albus cried, turning toward James.

Snape and Harry sat in a stunned silence.

"How did you know?" Snape questioned

"I thought you looked familiar, so I went digging through some history books that Aunt Hermione had. I found your picture and I instantly knew who you were. I can't believe that I didn't figure it out sooner. I told James what I found, but he didn't believe me."

"You are so much like your grandmother." Snape whispered to himself, his voice filled with sadness.

"Why didn't you tell us until now? Dad always tells me about you, but you die in his story."

"I thought he had died, Albus. I didn't find out until recently that he was alive." Harry commented.

"How did you survive?"

"Let's just say that I am very glad that I was a potions master. This has to stay a secret though. No one else can know, understood?" Snape questioned sternly.

"We promise." The kids said standing up.

"Go ahead and play kids."

The children left the room, all except Albus.

"What's going on, Albus?" Harry questioned.

"I'm glad that my dad gave me your name." He said to Snape.

"And why is that?"

"You are my hero." Albus stated.

"I shouldn't be your hero though. I've made a lot of mistakes."

"That's why you're my hero. You are not like these superheroes that James enjoys reading about. You are human. You're a good person to look up to because you stand for something bigger than yourself."

It was silent for a moment.

"Well, thank you Albus. I didn't know that you thought that way."

"I do."

Albus ran out of the room and joined his sibilings. Harry was thinking about what just transpired. Harry swore at some point, he had seen money exchange hands between James and Albus. They were just like their uncles. Once Harry was sure that the kids couldn't hear , he spoke.

"I told you that you were his hero."

Ginny entered the living room and interrupted the conversation.

"Dawlish is waiting in the kitchen." She spoke with a confused voice. "He says that he has something important to tell you"

Snape instantly put his bracelet on and he changed into someone else.

"How long has he been here?" Harry questioned.

"He just arrived."

Harry began to sit himself up on the cot.

"Let him come in." It took seconds before Dawlish entered the living room. "When is Teddy coming over?" Harry looked up at Ginny.

"He should be here in a hour or so." Ginny replied before she left the room.

Dawlish set himself on the edge of the couch.

"Harry, I am about to tell you something very important and it needs to be kept between us for now." Dawlish whispered, even though he knew that Ginny was out of earshot.

"What is it?" Harry said. The look on Dawlish's face told Harry that he had spoken too loudly for his boss' tastes.

"Rodolphus Lestrange was beaten to death in Azkaban." "What!" Harry yelled.

"Shhhh. Three death eaters are being put to death for killing him."

"How long ago?"

"About two hours."

"Did anyone else get hurt?" Snape questioned.

Dawlish turned to Snape, contemplating whether he should have the man leave. He then realized what the mystery man had said in the hospital and Dawlish figured it would be good for his health to answer the man.

"No. No one else got hurt. None of the assailants had a scratch on them. " He did not enjoy the fact that the man was in the room, but he would have to bear with it.

"That doesn't make sense. Lestrange is a fighter and he always bragged about how he would die fighting. Who killed him?"

"Three nobodies. They joined the death eater ranks something close to a day before the second war started."

"They wouldn't have attacked a higher ranking death eater." Snape informed. "Something is not right."

"I don't know. We have people looking into it." Dawlish told Harry.

A bright blue orb appeared in the room. It was much like the orb that Harry had seen when Kingsley had announced that the Ministry had fallen, during Bill Weasley's wedding. This could only mean bad news.

"They're gone." The voice said, then the orb disappeared.

Dawlish let out a large, slow sigh. It was the only noise that broke through the silence.

"Whose gone?" Harry questioned after he got over the initial shock of the announcement.

"Frank and Alice Longbottom have died." Dawlish responded.

There was a large and heavy silence that filled the room. It was minutes later that Harry realized something important.

"Lestrange was the last of their torturers."

"They were tortured for two hours." Snape added.

"They got their final revenge on the death eaters who destroyed their lives." Dawlish whispered.

"Good for them." Harry said sadly.

"May God rest their souls." Dawlish spoke as he stood up from the couch.

"Dawlish, I need to speak to Neville. Can you tell him that he has to come here?" Questioned Snape.

"And what do you need to speak to Neville about?" asked Dawlish, who was unsure about this mystery man.

"That is between Neville and I. Just tell him he needs to come here." Snape spoke harshly.

"Fine."

And with that, Dawlish disapparated from the house.

"What do you need to say to Neville?" Harry questioned.

"I just need to explain something to him."

Snape offered no more because there was a knock at the door. Ginny came out from the hallway, where Harry knew that she had been listening, to open the door. A solemn face greeted her.

"Hi Neville." She spoke softly as she gave him a hug.

"Hello Ginny." He responded

"How are you doing?" She questioned, leading him into the house.

"I'm doing okay considering…."

"I heard what happened. I'm really sorry Neville."

"Thank you, but you don't have to be sorry. They are in a better place now. How are the kids?"

"They are doing well."

They had now entered the living room.

"Hey Harry. How are you?" Inquired Neville.

"I'm doing okay. How are you holding up?"

"Pretty well." Neville answered as he sat on the couch. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Actually…." Snape interrupted. "I wanted to talk to you."

"I'm sorry…My name is…" Neville stammered because he had not recognized Snape, who was still incognito.

"I know who you are."

A teenager walked into the room.

"Hey uncle Harry."

"Hello Teddy."

With that Teddy Lupin left the room to go find Harry's kids.

"He is a very good student." Neville commented. "Now who are you?" He questioned, turning to Snape.

Harry watched as Snape took the bracelet off of his wrist and he transformed back into himself. Neville gasped so hard that Harry was sure that the entire house had heard it.

"Professor Snape?" remarked Neville.

"Yes, it really is me Longbottom. I am the reason that Dawlish told you to come here. I have something to talk to you and I wish to apologize."

"For what?" Neville asked. His mouth was still wide open from shock.

"I must apologize for how I treated you as a student. You need an explanation and it deals with both of you." Snape explained, motioning between Harry and Neville.

"Professor, that is all water under the bridge."

"For you it might be, but it is not for me. I need to explain my actions to you." Snape began his story. "Back when I was a death eater, I heard a prophecy and I relayed this prophecy to Voldemort. It told of a boy who was born at the end of July and he would be the one to destroy the dark lord. He figured that it was one of you two. He saw Harry as the bigger threat, so he went to deal with that. He also sent a group of death eaters to….incapacitate your parents. We know how this end because Harry becomes the "chosen" one. When you two boys came to school and I read your name on my roster, Neville, I became a very bitter man. I loved Harry's mother and there were times that I wished that you had been the boy of the prophecy. I was bitter toward you because it could have been you and Harry's mother would have still been here. I am really sorry for how I treated you and It never should have happened."

"Like I said, Professor, It's all water under the bridge."

"I'm sorry that your parents were forced to suffer." Snape apologized

"It's fate, what happened to my parents. There is nothing that could change that."

"Neville." Harry spoke up. "If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here to listen."

"Thank you Harry. All the doctors said that they would never recognize my face. They were wrong. Right before they passed, they told me that they loved me. They even said my name. The doctors said that they would never do that." Neville spoke with a smile.

"I thought you should know that the last man to hurt your parents died about two hours before your parents. He was the last one of them alive."

"Thank you." Neville stood up. "It is getting late, so I think I am going to go."

"Alright." Harry stood up and placed a hand on Neville's shoulder. "If you need anyone to talk to, don't be afraid to call."

"Thanks again, Harry. I shall see you later."

Snape walked beside Neville to the door as Ginny walked into the room.

"Are you going to stay for dinner, Neville?" She questioned

"No, thank you, Ginny." Responded Neville.

"Please, I insist. You shouldn't eat alone."

"I would stay, but right now, I need some alone time. I am planning on eating dinner with Luna when I get home."

"Tell Luna that we said hello and, please, take care of yourselves."

Everyone said their goodbyes and Neville stepped out into the cold rain.

"Dinner is almost ready, boys." Announced Ginny as Snape shut the door.

Snape and Harry made their way into the dining room, taking their seats when they arrived.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Snape questioned.

"Much better, sir. What happened after we apparated toward the burrow?"

"You collapsed, so I brought you back here."

Snape wanted to ask why Harry had freaked out, but the look on Harry's face told Snape that question was off limits. Within minutes, the room was filled with people and food. Lily and Albus were talking about Quidditch while James and Teddy were talking about their game of Chess. Harry and Ginny were holding hands, just glad that everyone was okay. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Then all hell broke loose.


	8. Mistakes, Consequences, Fear, and Greif

There was the sound of windows breaking in the front room. The kids were screaming inside the house, while there were shouts from outside the house. Harry and Snape jumped into action, knocking over their chairs. Harry ran, crouching, into the front room and Snape ran upstairs. Harry pressed flat against the wall, trying to see how many people were out there. He counted one….two….no, they were moving too fast for Harry to count. Snape ran down the stairs, much faster than any man of his age should be able to.

"I counted at least three." He informed Harry. "One of them is Yaxley."

Harry took off for the bookshelf.

"Harry, this is not the time…." But Harry was not listening.

He reached up toward the only red book on the shelves and pulled it back. He had to protect his family. Running into the living room, he called to his family.

"Everyone, come here right now!" He shouted.

Ginny helped usher the children out of the dining room and into the living room. The bookshelf had swung open like a door. Inside was a room with five beds, food, water, and other things that were needed to sustain life. Harry was getting the kids into the room, telling each one how much he loved them before they walked in. Teddy was the last one left.

"Do you know what to do?"

"Yes."

"Good. I love you Teddy."

"I love you too, Uncle Harry." The boy responded before running into the shelter.

"Ginny." Harry yelled standing up. "Go in."

"What is this Harry?"

"Right now is not the time for me to explain. Just go in."

"I am not going anywhere until you tell me what the bloody hell this is."

"It's a safety shelter that Hermione and I built before we moved in. Now please go in." Harry spoke with desperation in his voice.

"I am not going in there."

"Ginny, Please. This is not the time to argue. The kids need you and you will be safe in here. GO!" Harry pleaded.

"Harry James Potter, I fought the entire second wizarding war beside you. I am not stopping now."

Harry hated how stubborn she could be. Did she not understand what could happen if things went wrong?

"Fine." Harry shouted, fed up with the argument.

Harry and Ginny said goodbye to the kids as Harry shut the door close. When he turned back to Snape, he heard another window explode.

"Let's go." Harry ran to the door with Ginny and Snape close behind him.

Harry wretched the door open and just missed being hit by a spell. Harry dove behind a column of the porch, turning around to see the spell that he just missed had taken a chunk out of the door frame. Harry hurled a spell in the direction that he saw the missed spell come from. Two jets of light came toward Harry, causing him to drop to the ground. He heard Ginny yelp in fear.

"I'm fine." Harry spoke as he got to his knees.

He looked back to see if Ginny and Snape were okay, but they were not there. Hopefully they had gone into the shelter or had come up with a plan. He had to trust that things would end quickly. For the next few minutes, Harry shot spells off, only stopping to duck for cover. He knew that Snape would be fighting so where was he? There was a yell of pain coming from Harry's left, then another one coming from his right. It seems that Harry had found Snape and Ginny. Now was the time to fight and bring Yaxley into the ministry. Shooting a spell into the direction of Yaxley, Harry jumped over the banister of the porch. Yaxley retaliated with a spell of his own, which Harry had just barely been able to block the spell.

He ran to the middle of the yard, throwing up his wand to block spells that were speeding toward him. He stopped when he felt Ginny standing to his right and Snape to his left. Now everyone could be seen clearly, but Harry only paid attention to Yaxley. A body crashed to the ground as Snape took out a person, then rushed to help Ginny. Harry could see the fear in Yaxley's eyes as they began to duel. Snape and Ginny easily took out another intruder before turning their wands upon Yaxley. Yaxley kept his wand pointed at Harry's head. They were at a stand still.

"It's time to give up Yaxley. You can't win, not when it is three against one." Harry announced.

"I've done better with worse odds, Potter." He growled back.

"You can't win against him, Yaxley." Snape remarked.

"It that Voldemort's number one spy, Severus Snape."

"It is."

"I thought you died." Yaxley smirked.

"Clearly not. I am here, aren't I?"

"What makes you think I can't beat him?"

"Because even Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard of all time, couldn't defeat him. The boy even had Albus Dumbledore, who Voldemort said was one of the greatest wizards of all time, under his thumb. No one can beat him."

Harry was going to disagree with Snape, but the way that his demeanor changed told Harry not to.

"How close were you to death, Severus?" Yaxley inquired.

"That does not matter." Snape said calmly.

"It matters to me! I want to know who close you were to death."

"Had I acted a moment later, I most likely would have been dead."

A sinister smile crept across Yaxley's face.

"So, you didn't see that mud blood, Lily Evans?"

"What does she have to do with this?" Harry argued.

"Lily Evans was a mud blood. Do not deny it!"

"Don't you dare call her that." Snape retorted, raising his wand to Yaxley's face.

"Since you are alive, I can now send you and her filthy child back to her together."

"Enough!" Snape shouted, throwing a spell at Yaxley.

The duel began.

Within minutes, everyone was sweating. Yaxley began to throw spells wildly, which scared Harry. A spell came at Snape and he stumbled backwards from the force of it. Looking to make sure that Snape was okay would be the worse mistake Harry would make in his life. It was only an instant distraction, but it left enough time. Harry turned his head, and knowing Snape was okay, he turned back in time to see a large sliver spell racing toward Ginny. She didn't know that it was coming toward her.

"Look out!" Harry yelled at her, while lunging in front of her.

He soared through the air, knocking Ginny to the ground. When they landed, Harry could hear the fight recommence. Snape was okay and fighting. Harry pushed himself up and looked to make sure that Ginny was okay. He was lying on her back, shaking. A red liquid was seeping down her arm. Something was definitely wrong.

Harry crawled to Ginny. Horror is what met his eyes. He had been too late. She was bleeding all over. The last time Harry had seen this spell, he had casted it upon Draco Malfoy during their sixth year. Luckily, he knew how to heal Sectumsempra wounds. Harry ran his wand over her wands and, thankfully, they began to heal. He was about to turn to the next wound, when the one that he just tried to heal had opened up again. He had traced the wound over and over again, until he had done it ten times. The wounds would not heal.

These were not normal wounds. These were cursed. Harry knew that if Snape tried to heal them, they would not close.

"Ginny, you have to hold on. Help is on the way. Just hold on, sweetheart." Harry mumbled as he kept trying to trace the wounds.

Hopefully, someone at the Ministry had gotten his call for help. He prayed that someone had heard his call and was now on the way.

"Harry….Harry please stop." Ginny whispered, but Harry did not listen.

He did not even realize that Snape had incapacitated Yaxley and he was now, quietly, watching this horrible scene unfold.

"I'm not going to stop." Harry growled as he continued to attempt to heal the wound.

"Please stop." Ginny whispered again, taking a hold of Harry's wand hand.

"I'm not going to let you die. If you die, then I have nothing left to live for. We, the kids, need you….and I need you." Harry stated.

"No Harry. You still have everything to live for." Ginny pleaded.

"I don't know how to live without you, Ginny. I need you."

"I know that you can because you won't forget how much I love you."

Ginny reached up and kissed Harry. Could this be the last kiss that Ginny would ever give him? If it was, then Harry would not forget this moment.

"I love you so much, Ginny. You mean the world to me." Harry spoke, while shifting her in his arms as the rain came down harder.

"And you mean the world to me as well, Harry."

"If you die, then my life becomes lonely and meaningless."

"No, It doesn't. You have the kids, and Severus to be there. You have so many people to help you. You need to tell my parents that I love them. You also need to tell the kids. They can't forget how much I love them and neither can you."

"I love you so much Ginny. One lifetime is not enough to express my love for you." Tears began to sting Harry's eyes.

"And mine to you, as well." Ginny whispered as she reached up. Harry leaned down so that she could touch his face. "You are the greatest man that I have ever met and the only man that I have ever loved. I love you."

"I love you too." Harry said in response.

Ginny's blue shirt had turned a deep purple and Harry could feel her blood seeping through his jeans.

"I love you more than you will ever know, Ginny." Harry confessed.

"I…Love…You….Harry."

Ginny had whispered so quietly that Harry had to place his ear next to her mouth. He could feel her hand go limp in his own. With tears flowing down his eyes, Harry looked into her eyes. Ginny Weasley, the love of Harry's life, was dead.


	9. Anger and Similarities

Ginny was dead. Snape could see that and he knew that this would be the outcome. Snape had been stunned and knocked to the ground. He jumped up as soon as he saw the spell hit her and continued the fight. Yaxley was very easy to take down. Snape wanted to help Harry and Ginny, but he knew that it would do no good. The wounds would never heal and Snape knew that.

Harry's cries pierced the night. The rain couldn't seem to fall any faster, but somehow they did. Snape walked over to Harry, who was rocking back and forth while holding Ginny's body. Kneeling down, Snape placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. The boy did not look up. Snape reached down, gently closing Ginny's eyes.

"Harry….Harry, she's gone. You need to let go." Snape whispered as he carefully pried Ginny's cold body from Harry and placed her on the ground.

Harry spoke to Snape, still holding Ginny's hand.

"How did he know that spell?" Harry questioned, but he did not make eye contact with Snape.

"I do not know." Snape questioned in response.

"You lie!" Harry shouted, letting go of Ginny's hand and standing up. "There is only one other person who knew that spell and he's standing right in front of me. Did you teach them that spell?"

"So what if I did?" Snape argued, standing up to meet Harry. "It doesn't change anything. Ginny is still dead. What does it matter?"

"Then you may as well have killed her!" Harry shouted and punched Snape in the jaw.

Harry turned quickly and storm towards Yaxley. He was going to kill the bastard who took his wife from him. Harry was standing right over Yaxley, ready to kill him, when there were two quick bangs and a woosh of a spell as Harry fell to the ground.

Snape knew that the boy was going to punch him. He was angry and sad, but Snape didn't expect the punch to be so hard. He was slowly getting to his hands and knees when Harry went storming away. Snape spat blood out of his mouth and turned to watch Harry approach an unconscious Yaxley. There was a flash of sliver and two loud bangs that followed.

Yaxley raised his arm just high enough so that Snape could see it. Harry, who was standing over Yaxley had curled up, clutching his stomach like he had been punched. When the second bang came, Harry's arms flayed around as he fell. A look of surprise was plastered on his face. The two bangs could only mean one thing: Yaxley had just hit Harry with a contraption that the muggles know as a gun. As Harry fell to the ground, Snape whipped out his wand and, with lighting fast accuracy, shot another stunning spell at Yaxley. Snape stood up and ran toward the pair. He kicked the gun out of Yaxley's hand and gave him a swift kick to the head, for good measure. He was now for sure going to be unconscious until help came.

Snape turned to Harry as his vision got darker. Something was not right. Harry had managed to fall about five feet from Yaxley and Snape went to kneel by him. The boy still had that look of surprise on his face, but now it was mixed with fear. His breathing was heavy and labored which caused Snape to look at Harry's chest. Two bullets had caught Harry in the chest and they were very close to the heart.

Snape placed a hand over the wounds, trying to staunch the blood. Snape's vision got even darker when he applied more pressure. It was not a problem with Snape, it was Harry. He was dying and if Harry died, then so would Snape. Snape; however, was not going to allow it.

"Harry, I need you to stay awake. Why don't you tell me about Ginny?"

"What about her?" Harry whispered. His voice was mixed with sadness and contempt for the man who was helping him.

"Tell me anything that comes to mind." Snape replied before looking around for help.

"Ginny…..Ginny to me is like Lily to you. The only difference is that I didn't push her away. I guess she has become even more like Lily because I've lost her now." Harry explained in a very soft whisper.

Snape did not expect that answer at all. He could not dwell on it, though, because Harry's eyes shut suddenly.

"Harry…Harry, you need to wake up!" Snape shouted while shaking the boy in his arms.

Snape's vision was going away and so was the strength that he had left. Harry was not going to wake up, Snape knew that much. They were both going to die if help did not come soon. Snape placed Harry on the ground as he began to feel light headed. He was about to fall over onto the ground.

"I'm sorry Lily." Snape whispered before he became dead to the world


	10. The Right Choice

Snape opened his eyes, knowing that he was dead. He was not able to keep his vow to Lily and both he and Harry were dead.

"Severus" A woman's voice called as a bright light appeared behind him.

Snape turned around and held his hand up to block the light. When the light had diminished, he lowered his hand to see a red-haired woman standing before him.

"Lily."

A smile crept across her face before she ran full force into his arms. Snape held her tight. He was back with the only woman that he ever loved, feeling safe with her in his arms.

"Sev, thank you so much for watching Harry."

"How can you thank me when I have failed you?"

"You have not failed. Harry is alive, but only barely. He is currently between the living and the dead."

"Then have….Am I the same way? Am I between life and death?"

"No. As of now, you are very much alive. You are in a sedated sleep, but you will have a choice. I need to know what happened after Harry was shot."

So Snape told her what Harry said about Ginny.

"I fear that he has given up." Snape confided in her. "She was his one and only love. If the boy survives, he may never get over her death."

"That sounds like someone I know." Lily chimed in.

"My case is different."

"How so?"

"I practically killed you. I have as much of your blood on my hands as Voldemort.

"You did not kill me. Voldemort would have found out eventually."

"I took you away from your son too soon. Had you died later, your death would have been felt by more people."

"I am glad that I died when I did. It was better on Harry that we did not spend more time with him."

"Harry has an old man's heart. He had experienced more pain than any man on earth."

"And has he not lived through it? He is a fighter."

"You told me that I had a choice to make?" Snape questioned, switching topics quickly.

"Yes. There are two doors behind me. Do you see them?"

Snape looked over Lily's shoulder but couldn't see anything. The wall behind her began to shimmer and two doors appeared.

"The door on your right allows you to continue to live. The door on the left allows you to move on and stay with me."

The idea of being with Lily excited Snape. That's what he wanted all those years ago when he found her dead. There were new questions though, ones which were stopping Snape from making a quick decision.

"_What if Harry survives?" _Snape thought_. "Who would help him? I am the only one who really knows what he is going through. What if he doesn't survive? Where would the kids go?"_

"What are you thinking about? Sev, please talk to me." Lily said as she place a hand on his arm.

"I have always wanted to ask you something."

"Then ask."

Snape was hesitant. What if he didn't like the answer that Lily gave him? The need to know outweighed his fears.

"Let's say that we finished Hogwarts as friends. Would you have married me if I had asked?"

"I would have." Lily answered.

Snape would have had a family. He would have married the woman of his dreams. It was what they both wanted. Snape tried to imagine what his life would have been like, but he couldn't. It was not the life that he had now. That life was one filled with happiness, his was one of misery.

"What changed your mind?" Snape questioned, even though he already knew the answer.

"You became a death eater. I would have forgiven you for calling me that awful name. I did forgive you eventually, but I couldn't forgive you for becoming a death eater."

"You should have never forgiven me for anything that I did to you."

"That's not me, Sev. I forgive people if it feels right to me. You knew that I detested dark magic, so that was really the only thing that I couldn't forgive you for." Lily caught Severus looking at the doors behind her. "Do you remember what I told you last time?" She questioned.

"You told me that Harry would need someone to watch out for him after the war. He needed someone who knew what loss felt like. Is this what you were talking about? Did you know that Ginny was going to die?"

"No. All I knew was that people that Harry knew would die, and he would need help getting through it. He needs help more than ever, now that his wife is gone."

Snape stared off sadly at the doors, then turned to Lily. He knew that she was right.

"I was planning on going back, if you were trying to convince me."

Lily laughed and smiled.

"I knew that you were going to. I just felt that you needed to know that."

Snape embraced her.

"I love you, Lily."

"I love you too, Sev." Lily spoke while smiling, then it disappeared. "Harry needs help moving on. Both of you can help each other move on. You should really find someone else to be with."

"I can't do that." Severus said with a shake of his head.

"Why not?"

"You know why, Lily. No one would marry a former death eater. Also, not being married is a tribute to you and it lets me remember the mistakes that I have made."

"I don't like seeing you alone, Sev."

"I am not alone anymore. I have your son now, but if it makes you feel better I will try to move out from the past."

Lily kissed him, then hugged him while whispering.

"That is all I ever wanted from you."

When they let go of each other, Snape moved past Lily, toward the door that would bring him back to the living. He reached the door and turned back to the woman that he loved and still loves.

"I love you Lily."

"I love you too, Sev."

Severus kissed his finger tips and pushed them out to Lily. She did the same thing in return.

"I will always love you Severus."

Before anything could change Severus' mind, he pushed his way through the door. Had he not gone through then, he may never have left. A bright light greeted him, causing his eyes to shut quickly. Just as fast as it appeared, it disappeared and a strange beeping noise took its place. Snape slowly opened his eyes to confirm what he knew. Severus Snape was back among the living.


	11. Convincing Him To Leave

Harry had been flying around the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts. Even though Harry was happy, he knew that it couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. He had watched his wife get murdered and there was nothing that he could do about it. He it that it had to be a dream because he was happy. He had no idea how he could be happy again. Looking over to the opposite side of the pitch, Harry saw a figure standing at the base of the goals. Without even thinking about it, Harry flew with lighting fast speed toward the other set of goals. He jumped to the ground when he was a few feet from it. He ran into a red haired woman's arms.

"Harry." She called his name as he spun her around.

"Ginny." He responded, but her back on the ground.

"Harry, you shouldn't be here."

"What do you mean? I am with my favorite person in the world. Why should I not be here.

"You need to be with the kids. They need you."

"Snape can take care of them. I'm with you know and that is all that matters."

Harry attempted to hug Ginny but, in her anger, she pushed him away.

"Harry, did you really hear what you just said? 'Snape can take care of them', that's wrong. They'll have a problem with me death, but if both of us are gone….It's unthinkable. Do you really want them to have the same childhood that you had? Do you want them to grow up without parents? Are you just going to give up and change their lives? Do you think that they kids or Snape deserve this? If you answered yes to _any _of those questions, then I married the wrong man."

Angry silence fell between the two of them and It embarrassed Harry. It was not the tongue lashing that embarrassed him, it was the knowledge that he was being selfish.

"Ginny, that's not what I meant."

"That's what it sounded like."

"What I was trying to say is that I need to be with you. Everything in my life changed for the better because I asked you out."

"Of course everything changed. You found a new purpose in life. You've gone through so many deaths, why can't you accept mine?"

"You're different. It's not like losing a mother or a friend. You're my wife, the only person that I love. And it is my fault that you are dead."

"It's not your fault Harry." Ginny argued.

"It is my fault. How can I get through that?"

"I think I can help with that." A woman spoke.

Harry and Ginny looked around. Standing next to Harry's left was a woman who resembled Ginny.

"Mom?" Harry questioned.

"Yes son, it's me. Ginny is right you know. The kids need you."

"But I can't go on living without her."

"Your job is to get the kids to continue to live without their mother. No one has forgotten what you lost as well. I made sure that there was someone there who cam help you."

"Who?"

"Why don't you look?"

Lily held out a quaffle, and that was all that it seemed. Then it shimmered and the quaffle became a glass orb. Inside the orb was an image, but no one moved. Snape sat beside Harry's bedside and the image frightened Harry. He laid there motionless on a hospital bed. A tube protruded from his mouth. There were I.V. lines coming from his arms and heart monitors coming from the top of his hospital gown. He did not recognize the room that he was seeing. Was in in ? If this scene frightened Harry, then what was it doing to his kids.

Snape sat like a statue next to Harry. He had circles under his eyes and it looked like he had not eaten in some time. There was a look that Harry could see in Snape's eyes that Harry had only seen once before. That same look had been in Snape's eyes when he was afraid that Voldemort was going to kill Lily. Did that mean that Snape was afraid that Harry was going to die?

"I talked to Severus, dear." Lily began. "I gave him a choice. He could either come back or move on. He chose to come back for you."

"He doesn't love me. I don't even know why he is here. He should have died all those years ago." Harry said with a pensive tone.

"But he didn't die. He loves you as well. I know that you saw his memories. If things had been different, then we would have stayed together. He can explain everything when you go back."

"But I need to be with Ginny."

"No. Harry the kids need you." Ginny spoke.

"I think if you listen to what Severus has to say, you might change your mind." Lily explained.

"What?" Harry questioned.

"Watch." Lily spoke then fell silent, looking at the glass orb in her hand.

Harry, confused by what was happening, turned to the glass orb. For a long time, Snape didn't move. It made no sense that someone could sit there for that long and not move. Snape began to speak and it surprised Harry that he was alive.

"_Harry you need to wake up." Snape sighed and stayed silent for a few seconds. "I feel so stupid doing this. I know that you can't answer, but the doctors said that it might be good. Something rubbish about my voice pulling you out of this coma, but I guess it wouldn't hurt. The doctors don't even know if you are going to make it. You have to pull through, though. I know how much it hurts right now. I know how much it hurts, losing the one that you love. I am here to help you. I want to help you because I know that you will need it. People don't understand what it feels like, but I do. I lost your mother. Other people will, eventually, tell you to get over her death. I won't tell you that. You might not get over her death, but you can deal with the pain."_

"_I want to help you because I don't want you to end up like me. I became a hermit because I never got over your mother's death. I don't think I can open myself to any one because I fear that if I do, they will be taken away from me. I don't want you to feel like that. Your mother died protecting you and now you need to be here to protect your kids. They need your help. They've grown up too fast because of this. Is that what you really want?" Snape let out a long deep breath._

"_I understand James having to grow up a little, but Albus really shouldn't have to. He asked to talk to me yesterday when he came, so we went to find a nice quiet place to talk. He was really nervous, so I asked him how it was staying with Arthur and Molly._

_**SSASPSS**_

"_I really like it, but it's not the same without mom and dad. Grandma is always crying and Grandpa is trying his best. James and Lily are really taking mom's death hard. I'm hard too, but I haven't let them see me cry."_

"_Why not?" _

"_I'm the one taking care of them, with someone of Grandma's and Grandpa's help of course."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_One day, Grandma had taken a nap. We were making ourselves lunch and James was making Lily's for her. He gave it to Lily but she wouldn't eat it. James had forgotten to cut the crust off the sandwich and cut it into triangles. James yelled at her because she wouldn't eat it and he stormed out of the room. He made Lily cry. Grandpa ran after James. I got Lily to stop crying, fixed her sandwich, and I got her to eat it."_

"_That was very mature, Albus."_

"_Can I ask you a question, Mr. Snape?"_

"_You can ask me anything, Albus."_

"_And you won't laugh or think I was a baby?"_

"_I would never do that. I promise."_

"_Will you…..if…." Albus' eyes began to water._

"_It's okay, Albus." Snape took a hold of the boys hand. "Just as me."_

"_Will you still be around if….if my dad….dies?" _

_Then he couldn't hold it in any longer. Albus burst out crying._

"_Come here, Al." Snape whispered as Albus jumped into his arms, seeking comfort. "Let it out. It's will be okay." Snape cooed to the boy as he held tight to the potions master._

_When Albus stopped crying, he let go of Snape and went to wipe his eyes. Snape handed him a hankerchief from a pocket. When Albus was done, he handed it back to Snape._

"_Now listen to me, Albus." Snape spoke once Albus was situated comfortably on his lap. "It is okay to be scared. I know that it's very scary. There are a lot of people who are trying their hardest to make your dad better. I am one of those people, but I am also here to make sure that you, your brother, and your sister are safe and cared for. No matter what happens, I will always be here."_

"_Will Dad become like you?" Albus whispered._

_Snape sat there and stared at the boy in confusion, which led him to explain what he meant._

"_Dad always tells me about you because you're my hero. From what I understand, after Lily died, you closed yourself off to others. Is he going to be like that?"_

"_Can you keep a secret?" Snape questioned._

_Albus shook his head yes._

"_I had a dream the other night. In this dream I saw Lily. She told me that I needed to help your father and his family. She doesn't want your dad to become like me, so she told me that I had to stay here. I love Lily very much and I promised her that I would be here to help. I will keep my promise to her and the promise that I am going to make to you. I promise that I will try my best to help your father and you kids. You have no need to worry."_

_**SSHPSS**_

"_But there is a need to worry, Harry." Snape Stated. "Your kids are afraid that you are going to die. If you can here me, then you need to wake up. If not for me, then do it for your kids._

Harry looked up at the sound of Lily's voice.

"I made sure that Severus came back to help you. He made a promise to me, years ago, that he was going to protect you. He's gone above and beyond what he promised. You owe him your life more times than you know. Your kids need you and they are the ones who will be hurt more if you die as well. I know that it is a difficult decision, but it's the right one. Isn't that what Gryffindor's stand for?" Lily questioned.

Harry turned to Ginny, his eyes filling with tears.

"I've made the right decision all of my life." Harry said. "Why do I have to make one more?"

"Because you know that you can't leave the kids. You once told me that you wanted to give the kids a better childhood than you had. If you leave, then you are giving them the same childhood that you had." Ginny explained.

Harry wiped his eyes.

"I love you Ginny. A life without you is a sad life."

"Remember how much I love you, then it won't be as sad. You know that I love you, Harry."

"I will always love you to the ends of the world and back."

Harry stepped forward and gave Ginny a hug. He was never going to forget this last hug that he would give his wife. When they broke apart, both people wiped tears from their eyes.

"You need to go back now, Harry."

Harry nodded to Ginny and turned to his mother.

"Remember that your father and I love you, Harry." She reminded him.

"I will." He turned back to Ginny. "I love you Ginny."

"I love you too. Go back to the kids. Tell them and my parents how much I love them. Tell Snape that I do not blame him, and remember that this was not your fault. I love you Harry."

Harry, most unwillingly, forced himself to turn away from his mother and wife. He started out taking small steps, but then bolted into a run. He heart broke with every foot fall. His eyes streamed with tears as he ran through the Quidditch Pitch entrance and into the Gryffindor locker room, leaving his mother and Ginny behind.


	12. Fighting His Way Back

He ran toward the door out of the locker room, only to find it locked. Turning back to the entrance, Harry saw a solid wall. He spun around trying to find a door out, but the walls had changed to silver with no door out. Harry began to panic. Had they led him into a trap? No, Harry had to trust them. He sat on the floor and waited….and waited…..and waited. Nothing happened. Suddenly the wall across from where Harry was sitting changed white. Harry focused on it in curiosity when an image appeared on the wall. It began moving and Harry realized that it was a type of film. It was the most horrific thing Harry had ever seen, which was saying a lot.

_It started with his mother's death. Then Ron almost died playing wizards chess and Harry almost died fighting Voldemort. Then came the chamber of secrets, where Ginny and Harry both had been close to death. _Cold spread over Harry instantly, like he had been dipped in ice water. _Dementors appeared on the screen, showing the three separate attacks. Had Dumbledore not stopped Harry from falling, he would be dead. Sirius almost died that year as well. Then Cedric hit the ground dead, the killing curse caught him square in the chest. Then Sirius fell through the curtain. Then Dumbledore fell off the tower, killed by Snape. Hogwarts appeared on the screen in shambles and the faces of those who died flashed by on the screen. Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Snape, and the faces of so many others. Then that spell went and hit Ginny. _

Harry turned away, he couldn't watch it anymore. All those deaths were Harry's fault. They had all died for him. He owed his life to these people and to some, more than once. Tears stung his eyes. Harry just wanted to get back to the living. Pulling his knees up to his chest, Harry knew that he was going to go insane.

"My name is Harry Potter." He muttered. "I was the chosen one and I am the boy who lived. None of these deaths were my fault, That's what everyone tells me. Severus Snape really isn't dead. Ginny Weasley, the love of my life, _is_ dead. I have three beautiful children. Albus, James, and Lily all need me. I just want to see my kids."

Harry had to hold on to this idea or he would forget everything and go mad. Harry kept saying the words over and over to himself.

"I just want to see my kids again." Harry shouted, tears rolling down his face.

It suddenly got dark. It was a complete darkness that encased Harry. But he was back in his own body. He couldn't move, but he could feel it. It felt right. There was a voice that he could hear occasionally. It was Snape.

Harry stayed in the darkness for a long time, getting stronger as time went on. Some times he felt alone, but Harry knew that Snape was always there. His kids came by once in a while and after one of there visits, Snape began to speak.

"Harry, you know that Albus looks a lot like you. He even has Lily's eyes. After Lily and I parted ways, everyone said that I needed to forget her. There was no way that I could do that though. Your mother was my best friend. She was the greatest person that could have come into my life. She was the only person who was ever nice to me. I know that your mother thought of me as well.

I never told anyone this, but I saw you and your mother one day in Diagon Alley, before you all went into hiding. I was standing in the entrance to Knockturn Alley and your mother was standing across from the opening. You were standing at the window, looking at a broomstick. She picked you up so you could have a better look at it. You pointed at it and Lily said 'One day little cub, but not now.' When your mother met me, she used to call me a little cub because of how curious I was. I never stopped thinking of her and I know that you will never stop thinking about Ginny." Snape paused of a moment, the only sound was a deep sigh.

"It gets better after awhile. You won't stop thinking of her and eventually thinking of her won't hurt anymore. Yeah, some days are worse than others, but overall it's okay. I can promise you that it will get better."

Snape stop speaking, placing his head in his hands. It had been too long since Harry was brought here and nothing had changed.

"I know." A voice whispered.

Snape looked up and grabbed Harry's hand.

"Harry, thank god, you're awake." Snape said, with a crack in his voice and tears in his eyes.


	13. Telling Them How She Died

"Where are my kids?" Harry muttered.

"Hold on." Snape pulled out his wand. "Expecto Patronum" He whispered.

A doe appeared in the room and stared at Snape.

"Find Molly Weasley. Tell her that Harry is awake." Snape ordered.

It nodded at Snape and pranced out the window. When it was gone, Snape turned back to Harry.

"Harry, you don't understand how elated I am that you are okay. You've had a lot of people worried about you."

"How long have I been here?" Harry questioned.

"It's been almost a week, if not more."

"How long have you been here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw my mother. She said that you had a choice, which means that you saw her too."

"I did see, Lily. The doctors told me that I had been here for three days."

"Mom said that you made a promise and you had gone above and beyond what was expected of you. What was that promise?"

"I made an unbreakable vow with your mother. I was to protect you. At first, it was because Lily wanted me to. Then it became about you. Even if you were a trouble maker."

Both men laughed uncomfortably. When it stopped, Snape looked worried.

"What's wrong?" Harry questioned.

"Did you see Ginny?" He questioned quietly.

Harry knew that the subject was bound to come up and he knew that it would be touchy for both men.

"I did. She told me that…..she didn't blame you. I don't blame you either."

The thought of Ginny not being there hurt so much.

"You shouldn't blame yourself." Snape commented.

"It's my fault."

Snape began to speak, but he was interrupted by a loud shout.

"Dad!" Albus yelled as he ran into the room. He jumped into his father's arms.

Harry held his children for a long time. He picked up Lily, held her tight, and almost broke down. She had red hair just like Ginny, and her eyes pierced him like Ginny's would. Lily could tell that something was wrong when she saw the tears in her dad's eyes.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" Lily asked

"Yes, I'm fine. I've missed all of you so much."

"We missed you too, Dad." James reciprocated.

"Have you been listening to Grandma and Grandpa?" Harry questioned.

"Yes." They all answered in unison.

"Good."

"Harry!" A voice shrieked.

Mrs. Weasley ran into the room, Mr. Weasley following behind. Mrs. Weasley tried to hug Harry, but instead of a normal hug, she grabbed his head and held it tight. It was apparently funny because Harry's kids where holding their sides in laughter. Mrs. Weasley was rocking back and forth, holding Harry's head and crying as she did. Soon the tears subsided.

"Okay, Molly. We don't want to suffocate him." Mr. Weasley said.

"Sorry, Harry." Mrs. Weasley released Harry. "I'm just glad that you are okay."

"Have you seen Teddy?"

"He's coming with Ron and Hermione. I told them as soon as I heard."

As soon as she spoke, Hermione came bursting into the room. She saw Harry and attacked him with a hug. Harry wasn't sure who crushed him more, Hermione or Mrs. Weasley. When she released him, Hermione spoke.

"You have so many people worried, Harry."

"So I've heard."

Ron approached Harry's bed side and he could see the tears in his friends eyes. Harry had only seen Ron cry once. It was during the final battle. Somehow, it was comforting to Harry even though he had no idea whether Ron was crying for his sister or his friend. Harry reached up and gave Ron a proper hug.

"It's okay, Ron." Harry whispered before they let go of each other.

"Harry, we need to know…" Hermione began before a nurse entered the room.

"Mrs. Weasley, what are you doing back?" She questioned, then saw Harry. She stood in shock for a moment. "You're awake Mr. Potter." She stated.

"Yes, I am. I was wondering if there was a place where my kids could go while the adults talk."

"Really Dad?" The kids protested.

"Yes. "

"Come follow me, kids." The woman spoke before she left the room.

The kids, most reluctantly, followed the nurse. All of the Weasleys had taken a seat and the tone of the room became tense. It was Hermione who spoke first, breaking the silent tension.

"Harry, I need to know what happened?"

"Before I can tell you, you need to know what happened. Did you get my message?"

"I was just about to leave when I got your message. There were only three other people there. We called in all the back up we could. I knew that if you called, then it was serious. We got to your house too late. It was a scene of carnage, just awful. Yaxley was unconscious, both you and Severus were unresponsive, and only a few feet away from you was Gin-Ginny." Hermione finished saying the name after taking one deep breath. "I knew she was gone when I went to check on her. Rob ran into the house when I inquired about your kids."

"They took Yaxley to Azkaban and I just stood there in shock. Rob came back, telling me that he couldn't find them. We were just about to send out a missing child alert, when I realized where they were. I ran into the house, grabbed them out of the safe room, and took them to the Burrow. I promise you, they never saw anything out side of the house." Hermione finished, taking a deep breath.

She was out of breath, the words spilling out of her mouth like an avalanche. Harry, who was unsure of what to say to Hermione, turned to Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley. It's my fault that Ginny is dead."

"Harry, you should not…"

"NO!" Harry shouted over her. The room froze in shock. "Please, just let me explain. She wanted to fight by my side and I let her. I made a fatal mistake. Professor Snape had been hit with a spell and I turned to make sure that he was okay. It's the worse mistake I have ever made in my life. I saw the spell coming at her and I pushed her down. The spell hit her anyways. Had I not turned around, Ginny would still be here."

Harry paused for a moment, then spoke before anyone else could.

"I do understand if you never want to see me again, and I understand if you are angry with me. You wouldn't be the only one." "Who else is angry with you?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I am. It's my fault that she's dead."

"Harry James Potter, now you listen here." She began placing a hand on his. "After you and Severus left the Burrow that night, I got a chance to talk to Ginny. I asked her how she was doing. _"I guess I'm fine now that Harry's okay. I don't think I am going to sleep for a while though. My mind is still in fear mode. Every time Harry walks out the door, I pray that he will walk back though later that night. I love every moment I get to spend with him. He's made me the happiest woman on earth. I don't know what I would do if he died."_ "You've made my daughter happy. All Ginny ever wanted was to be happy and to have a family. How can I be mad at the one person who has given her exactly what she wanted?"

Mrs. Weasley let the question hang in the air. Harry had tears in his eyes, caused by what Mrs. Weasley had said. Why hadn't Ginny told Harry about that? He never wanted his wife to pray that he would return. If Ginny had just told him, Harry would have given up his job.

"Harry, we could never be made a t you. You are family and you gave Ginny the life that she wanted. You did what anyone else would have done. You made sure that your friend was okay. Anyone would have done that. You can't go blaming yourself." Mrs. Weasley told him in a soft whisper, finishing with a pat on the hand and a smile.

"Did the kids behave themselves?"

"You don't have to ask that, Harry. They always do."

Harry turned to Hermione.

"You said that they took Yaxley."

"They took him to Azkaban. They wanted to send them to the dementors right away, but I talked the Minister into postponing it till you got out of the hospital. He said that it seemed only fair. Since you captured Yaxley, he believes that you deserve a medal."

"Tell him I don't want one or need one."

"I will but he may insist that you have one."

"Then tell him I will not be there to accept it. I don't need a medal for my wife's death."

The room got awkwardly silent for a long time. When no one had spoke for minutes, Snape got up and ushered the children back into the room. For a few hours, Harry could see that his kids didn't have a care in the world and it made Harry very happy. Before everyone knew it, darkness had fallen.

"Kids, I think we better start heading home." Hermione suggested when she noticed how dark it was.

"I think it's time that we go home to kids." Mr. Weasley agreed.

"Can't we stay with dad?" Lily questioned.

"Your dad needs to rest, sweetheart." Mrs. Weasley answered.

"Go with grandma and grandpa. Before you know it, I will be home with you." Harry comforted his kids.

Harry gave each kid a hug, followed by Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Hermione. When he gave Hermione a hug, he asked to speak with her privately. She let go and helped usher Mr. and Mrs. Weasley out of the room with Harry's kids.

"Ron, go ahead with your parents. I'll be right there."

Ron agreed and left with his kids.

"What did you want Harry?"

"Next time you see Dawlish, tell him that I will be back to work in a couple of days."

"No. You know the procedure, Harry. You get a month off, then you can't come back until you are cleared by a shrink and a senior official."

"Then go ahead and clear me, Hermione."

"Harry, I would. I really would but you just lost your wife in a very violent manner. You need to take time off, be with your kids. They need you right now and work is not going to help you or them."

"Can you at least just get me some files?"

"Harry, you shouldn't worry about…"

"Please Hermione. It's just two files."

"This doesn't mean that I am going to get them, but what files could they possibly be?"

"Yaxley's file and the Malfoy accident file."

"Harry, I think it's a bad idea for you to have any of those files. Is there anyway I can talk you out of this?"

"No. There's something I want to see."

"Fine. I'll give them to you when you get home."

"Thank you, Hermione."

She gave Harry another hug and left. For a long time, it stayed silent between Harry and Snape. Harry was one to break the silence.

"Thank you for helping Albus."

"You're welcome." Snape answered.

The thanks did not phase Snape. He knew that Lily convinced Harry to come back. He did not wish to have Harry tell him what he saw. He did not want to bring those memories back to the forefront of the man's mind. Harry needed to heal from his physical wounds right now. There would be lots of time for Harry to heal from his other wounds.

"Why don't you sleep? You need to rest." Snape spoke quietly.

"I'm not tired, believe me. Did my mother really call me 'little cub'?"

"She did."

"What did she tell you….when you saw her?"

"Potter, that is a story for another time. Right now, I think we both need to rest. I will be right here when you wake up."

That reassured Harry a little and within a few minutes, Harry and Snape were both asleep.


	14. Burying Ginny

Harry was released from the hospital two days later. While he was home, he spent most of his time split between his kids and planning Ginny's funeral. Harry didn't want to be apart of the planning, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley insisted. Today had been a month to the day that Harry lost Ginny and today would be her funeral. Today was going to be the hardest day of his life.

He was woken up early by the sound of a crying child. The crying was quiet, but it was just loud enough to wake Harry. He got up and padded down the hallway to Lily's room. He pushed the bedroom door open just enough to see her bed. Lily was sitting upright in her bed, crying and hugging a teddy bear that Ginny had bought her.

"What wrong, Lily?" Harry whispered as he walked into the room.

He shut the door behind him before sitting next to his daughter.

"I miss Mommy." Lily wailed.

She had most likely been dreaming, and Ginny was in that dream.

"Oh sweetie." Harry whispered as he picked Lily up and held her in his arms. "I miss her, too." He stood up and started to walk around the room with her. "I bet she misses you too because she loves you so much."

As Harry comforted Lily, he wanted to cry at the thought of Ginny. He hadn't cried since she had died and he couldn't cry now. He needed to be strong for his children. Harry continued to walk around the small bedroom, cradling Lily in his arms. Her chest gave great heaving gasps, but eventually her breathing returned to normal. Soon, she fell asleep in her father's arms. Snape, unbeknownst to Harry, had been standing out side the door for some time. Harry tucked Lily back in her bed and turned to the door. When he saw Snape standing there, he almost screamed out in fright.

"What are you doing?" Harry questioned Snape as he shut Lily's door.

"I heard movement and wanted to make sure that everything was okay."

"Lily had a bad dream."

Harry looked down at his watch, then rubbed his face in a sort of frustration.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Harry answered after giving a long sigh. "I have a feeling that today is going to be a _long_ day. Would you like some coffee?"

"Why don't I go make some coffee? You go down to your office and relax."

Harry wanted to protest, but he knew that Snape would never allow him. The two men quietly walked down the stairs. When Harry reached his study, he sat down on the couch and just stared around the room.

On the table in front of Harry were the two files that Harry had asked Hermione for. The trash bin besides Harry's desk looked like it had regurgitated. The papers that overflowed were all scraps of the eulogy that Harry was going to give. Harry's words didn't do justice to Ginny or how he felt about her. Harry figured, after draft fifty, that the words would come to him before he had to go up a speak.

Harry turned away from the overflowing trash bin, and turned his attention to the files. Each file was about as thick as Harry's fist was. He had all the time in the world to look at these. Hermione told Harry that Dawlish was kind enough to give Harry as much time as he needed to pour through these files. He also assured Harry that Yaxley was not going to escape again. Yaxley had twenty-four hour security and he was locked in a steel, isolated prison cell. There was no way that he was going to escape this time.

Harry put his head in his hands and stared at the files. When the office door opened, Harry looked up and thanked Snape for the coffee.

"Professor."

"Yes, Potter."

"When you saw my mother, what did she say?"

"Well…."Snape began, taking a seat next to Harry. "She thanked me for watching over you. She reminded me of something that she told me after Voldemort tried to kill me."

"Wait, you've seen my mother more than once?"

"Yes. She comes into my dreams every fives years on Halloween. The last time I saw her was the night of the final battle. She told me that you would need help coping with a great loss. She always told me that we had a lot in common. I just didn't think it would extend this far. She also forgave me from calling her a mu…"Snape struggled with the word, for it tasted like poison to him.

"I know what you mean." Harry continued, relieving Snape of having to say that cursed word.

"She forgave me for that. Your mother also reminded me that you are resilient and would find a way to life through it. I thought, after what you told me that night, you have given up. She reminded me that I almost gave up, but I had gotten through it. I am here to help you, Harry. I know that if I didn't have someone to go to, I would have ended it all. I know that pain that you are going through. I know that today is going to be hard on you, so allow me to help. The words are going to come a some point today." Silence followed as they took a sip of their coffee.

"What would you have said?" Harry questioned. "If you could have attended my mother's funeral?"

Snape stared off into the distance as he answered.

"I would have told everyone what a kind person she was. I would have told them that she didn't care about your background, she would still care about you. She would always be there for you." Then Snape turned to Harry. "I loved your mother very much and I forced her away from me with one bad decision."

There were footsteps overhead that caused Harry to look at his watch. It was almost seven-thirty and the kids were starting to wake up.

"We should start getting the kids ready." Snape said as he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Harry to think.

There was one part that Snape didn't say. Harry knew that the professor wanted to say "to say goodbye." Harry was most certainly not ready to say goodbye and neither were his children. Lily had very little understanding of what happened. She only knew that she would never she her mother again. James and Albus knew that their mother never wanted to die. They just didn't know that she was murdered, like their Potter grandparents. Harry stood up and walked out of the room. They had to be at the church in five hours, but first they were going to stop at the Burrow.

Harry, his kids, and the Weasleys were at the church an hour before anyone else and before the hour had come to an end, the church was filled. They all stood in the back of the church, the kids whispered to one another and the adults consoled Mrs. Weasley, who had taken a seat next to Ginny's casket. They had all agreed that the ceremony should be closed casket because It would be too much for the kids, but Harry wanted to see her face again. He would give anything up to see her once more. A hand rested on Harry's shoulder, causing him to turn around. Father Callahan was standing next to him.

"I am very sorry for your loss." He told everyone. "Let us pray before we say goodbye."

The kids gathered around and all talking ceased.

"God, please let those who are hurting most find strength and please allow Ginny a place in your heavenly home. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"Amen." Everyone repeated.

"Now, let us proceed."

The doors opened to the sanctuary and silence fell. Father Callahan levitated Ginny's casket and followed it into the sanctuary. Behind the Father was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, followed by Ron, Hermione, Rose, Hugo, and Teddy Lupin. Albus and James walked in front of Harry and Lily, whom he was holding in his arms. Harry kept his eyes on Ginny's casket as he took a seat in the front row along with the rest of her family.

For the next few hours, people told stories of Ginny. Neville and Luna told stories of what a good friend she was. Hermione told everyone how smart she was and what a great friend she was. Ron told everyone the story of who she and Harry met. The story actually made Harry laugh. He could clearly see her face as she stared at Harry in the Burrow. She said nothing to him as she sprinted up the stairs like the house was on fire. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went up together and told stories that show her kind heart and what a great daughter she was. Mr. Weasley described how brave his daughter had been during the final battle, even though she thought that the man that she loved was supposedly dead. As Mr. Weasley told his story, Harry could hear Ginny's screams when she saw his body. He closed his eyes and pushed the pained screams out of his mind.

"Harry, We thank you for being there for our daughter. You've made her so happy and we know that no one could do better." They finished before stepping off the pulpit.

"Ginny's husband, Harry, would like to say a few words." Father Callahan announced.

Harry slowly stood up and, even though he was only a few feet away from the pulpit, the walk seemed to take forever. Once Harry was up there, he grabbed the pulpit hard and stared up into the crowd.

"Ginny Weasley was a great friend, mother and wife. When we were in school, Ginny would make friends with anyone as long as they treated her with respect, and if you were Ginny's friend, then no one would mess with you. Ginny always stuck up for her friends. We know that by the stories that her friends told us today."

"She was loyal to her friends and she was fiercely loyal to her family. Kids, your mother loved you very much and she will always love you. Everything she did, she did with love. She knew exactly what to say when you needed to hear it. The only thing she knew was how to love."

"Not only was she a loving mother, she was also a loving wife. There are no ways to describe my love for her. I told her that I will.." Harry's eyes began to tear up. "I will always love her to the ends of the earth and back. I do not believe that those words do justice to my love for Ginny."

"My love for her will be unwavering, even in her death. It's been one month, eighteen hours, thirty minutes, and twelve seconds since I lost…"

Harry gripped the pulpit even harder and looked down. Tears were pouring down Harry's face. He tried to stop it, but he had been holding it in for so long. If he didn't let it out now, Harry thought he was going to explode. So Harry openly wept, he could no longer bottle it up.

"It's been one month, eighteen hours, thirty-three minutes, and forty-five seconds since I have lost my best friend and the only woman that I have ever loved." Harry said when he was able to form words again. "Ginny helped me so much after the war. She helped me but I couldn't help her when she needed me the most. I will always be counting from the last time that I saw her. There are no words or actions that can allow me to show you how much I love Ginny Weasley. Nothing can stop me from loving her, not even her death. I will always love Ginny."

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, turning and speaking to the only people who ever felt like parents to him. "You raised the most kind, thoughtful, and caring daughter. Ginny was the greatest person who came into my life and I thank you for the chance to live life with her. Lily, James, and Albus…No matter what happens, your mother will always love you and so will I. If there is one thing that you can take away from your mother, it is to learn to love life, no matter what happens, because that is how she lived life. I thank you all for being here today to celebrate Ginny's life."

Harry turned away from the pulpit and went to Ginny's casket.

"Ginny, I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I love you sweetheart."

Harry placed a hand on Ginny's casket.

"I love you so much."

Harry, most unwillingly, turned and walked away from the casket. He took a seat next to his children, hid his face within his hand and cried. His cries echoed throughout the sanctuary. He could feel Snape's hand on one of his shoulders, but that only made him cry harder because he knew that Ginny would do something like that if she were here. Father Callahan said that final words, but Harry did not hear them. A hand guided Harry out of the church and into the cemetery, where Father Callahan lowered Ginny's casket into the ground. It only took a few seconds for her casket to be covered. Harry didn't move. Others had left Ginny's grave sight, but Harry had not moved. Tears flowed down his face and there was nothing that he could do to stop it.

Harry sank to his knees and kept staring at Harry's grave. Even though he had not looked around, Harry knew that he was alone except for a few family members. Someone was speaking to a group of people, who ran off to leave Harry alone. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and he lost it again.

"I know, Harry." The person whispered.

"I just can't believe that she's gone." Harry wailed as he collapsed into Snape's arms.

Harry's sobs stabbed the air and Snape knew exactly how the boy felt. The last time that Snape heard crying like this, he himself had lost his best friend that the only woman he ever loved, much like how Harry had just lost his best friend and the only woman that he ever loved.


	15. Grieving

Greif, a noun here which means a deep and poignant distress caused by bereavement, and grief filled the Potter house. It was not so much the children, but Harry who was still grieving two months after Ginny's death. Some nights, Harry would have dreams of Ginny dying, only to by shaken away by Snape. Harry's heart was pounding, his face was slick with sweat, his throat raw from screaming, and tears in his eyes. Even though Harry had cried during the dream, he would cry even more with Snape there consoling him. If he wasn't woken up by a dream, then he would still think that Ginny was there. At night, Harry would not touch Ginny's side of the bed. Sometimes he would roll over and hit her pillow. Harry would apologize to her, then open his eyes to see that she wasn't there, causing him to cry.

Days seemed to mush together in a mundane and mind numbing routine. Wake up, shed a few tears, shower, dress, brush teeth, eat breakfast with the kids, get the kids ready for the day, go into the office while the kids played, look over the files that Hermione gave him, cry some more, eat lunch with the kids, play a few games with the kids, eat dinner with the kids, get the kids ready for bed after desert, tell them a bed time story, put them to bed, read a book, talk to Snape about different things, take the broom out in an attempt to clear his mind. Harry would then cry before going to bed, only to start the whole thing over again.

The only deviation from this routine was three times a week, after lunch, Harry would go see a ministry shrink. Harry did not want to see a shrink, but Hermione's continuous insistence had won out. The first three weeks of meeting were just about Harry's life. The fourth and fifth week was just focused on Harry's relationship with Ginny. That fourth week was the only other time that Harry had allowed his kids to see him cry.

Harry had come home after the first meeting during that fourth week, and shut himself up in his room. Snape, who was the only other adult there, took care of Harry's kids. He didn't mind it because Harry needed some time to himself and he deserved it. So he went around a played father for a few hours, keeping peace in the house. When the day had ended, Snape knocked on Harry's door.

"Harry, can I come in?" He asked. There was no answer. "Harry, I am coming into the room."

Snape opened the door and entered. Harry was sitting on his bed, whit knees tucked up to his chest. In his hands was a picture of him and Ginny. Snape sat carefully in front of Harry and laid a hand on his arm. Harry, surprised by the touch, withdrew his hand and looked at Snape. Harry's face was wet with tears, but it was the look in Harry's eyes that caused Snape worry.

Harry's eyes had a haunted quality about them, which was normal for a child who had been effected more by death at the age of seventeen than most people would in their lives. It worried Snape that it seemed, through Harry's eyes, that no one was "home."

"I know Harry." Snape whispered. "I know."

It looked like Harry hadn't heard Snape even though he was looking right at him. Snape wrestled in his mind whether Harry was going to say something, or if Snape was going to have to call a doctor to have Harry check into the hospital. It was then that Harry sprung from his spot and hugged Snape. Snape, knowing that Harry needed comfort, hugged him back without thinking about it and allowed Harry to cry more.

"I know, Harry. I know." Snape whispered repeatedly into Harry's ear.

Snape knew what it was like for Harry, but it was only to a certain extent. Would Snape's grief had been as bad if he had been married to Lily? The answer was yes. For now, Snape had to do the best he could to console Harry. When Harry had finally stopped crying, he pulled away from Snape.

"I'm sorry, Professor." Harry whispered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"It's alright, Potter. Why don't you grab that picture and come into the kitchen with me? I saved some dinner for you and I'm sure that you are hungry."

Harry sat there for a moment and shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay." He answered dejectedly as he stood up and grabbed the picture that he had been holding for hours. Neither of the men spoke as they made there way down to the kitchen, where Snape heated up some food for Harry.

"Here you go." Snape was the first to speak since they had left the bedroom. He placed a plate of food and a glass of water in front of Harry.

"Thank you." He whispered as he started to eat.

"I made dinner for the kids and got them off to bed." Snape informed Harry as he sat next to him.

"Did they ask where I was?" Harry questioned after a few moments.

"They did. I told them that you weren't feeling well, so you went to bed early. They seemed to understand, but they did miss you."

"I'm sorry about that, Professor."

"Harry, listen to me." He waited till Harry looked at him. "You need to stop apologizing. You have every right to grieve for Ginny and that's what you are doing. It's even okay to cry in front of your kids. Let your kids see that it is okay to cry, but don't ever apologize to me for your grief. I know how you are feeling, believe me. If you don't cry, then you are going to explode. I am surprised that you haven't cried in front of your kids. I get a little choked up every time that I look at Albus."

"Why is that?"

"Because he has her eyes. Do you ever remember the first class of mine that you attended?"

"Yes. I believe that you questioned me on things that I didn't even learn till my fifth year. I told you that I didn't know and that you should ask Hermione because she knew. You gave over and lectured me about the answers." "That's right. I looked you in the eyes and almost cried in front of you. The moment that I asked people to write down those answer, I went into my storeroom and cried for almost three minutes. I cried because you have Lily's eyes and now Albus has them as well. I am surprised that you haven't cried in front of your kids because they all have qualities of Ginny in them." Snape let the words hand in the air for a moment.

"After my mother died, I found it was easier to keep everything to myself. Your mother had different plans. She got me to open up and talk with her. It took me a long time to open up, but I ended up turning to Lily and Hagrid to talk about my feelings. When your mother died, I turned to Hagrid. I always found that he was very easy to talk to and he listens very well."

"I don't know if you know this but Hagrid hasn't been seen for years. He just disappeared over the summer six years ago." Harry informed Snape.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Hagrid was a good person. I would normally not tell someone this, but I feel that this situation warrants this." Snape reached out and grabbed Harry's arm. "If you need someone to talk to, come find me. I will never tell you to stop thinking of Ginny and I will never tell you to get over her. I'll just tell you to never forget. I know it hurts now, but it gets better. It just takes time and some help." Snape said, letting go of Harry's arm.

Harry ate some more food before stifling a yawn behind his hand. This caused Snape to look up at the clock on the wall.

"Sorry. I'm just really tired."

"Of course you are. You've been crying for at least seven of eight hours and it's one in the morning. Anyone would be tired after that. Take this." Snape ordered as he pushed a vial into Harry's hand. "Go to bed and take this before you lie down. You need a good night sleep. Believe me, it helps."

Harry stared at the vial a few moments before standing up.

"Thank you, Severus."

"You're welcome, Harry. Now go to bed and get some sleep."

"Yes, sir. Good night." He called as he left the room.

"Good night." Snape responded.

The door to Harry's room shut and Snape was still sitting in the kitchen. After letting out a huge sigh, Snape looked up at the ceiling.

"Are you watching this, Lily?" Snape questioned. "This was me after you died. I at least had someone to talk to who knew you. Harry has no one because I know that he won't talk to her family about it. What did I get myself into?"

Snape shook his head before standing up and turning of the kitchen lights.


	16. I Know It's My Fault

It took time but eventually Harry opened up to Snape and that became the theme of their nightly talks. Snape could see an improvement in Harry's coping abilities because of these talks. Harry didn't cry as much when he talked about Ginny, but Snape knew that I wouldn't take much to cause Harry to go back to his previous state of grief.

By now, it had been two months since Ginny's funeral and Harry had a rare afternoon to himself. The kids were with Ron and Hermione for the weekend and Snape had gone to his shop in Diagon Alley. The house was silent and Harry was about to take his broom out when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Harry questioned as he approached the door.

"It's me, Harry." Ron called.

Harry opened the door to see Ron standing on the porch. Something was not right about Ron and it showed on his face. Ron looked sad, but his eyes fought to hide an angry fire that was burning inside. Harry realized that something was wrong, but he realized too late. A fist came out of nowhere and connected with Harry's jaw. He went sprawling to the floor, taken by surprise that his friend and brother-in-law had just punched him.

Harry heard the door shut as he pushed himself into a standing position. He staggered for a moment, which gave Ron a window. Ron took another swing at Harry, whose jaw could be heard cracking from the force of the blow. Harry staggered again, dropping to one knee, but not falling completely to the floor. As Harry was kneeling, he rubbed his jaw.

"Get up, Harry." Ron ordered, his wand pointed at Harry's chest.

"If you're going to kill me, Ron." Harry began, only stopping to spit blood out of his mouth. "Then I think I deserve to know why."

"I'm all alone now." Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned, fearing that Hermione was dead.

"I'm the only child left. All of my siblings are gone." Ron informed Harry.

Harry gave a sigh of relief in his mind, for Hermione was not dead. What Ron was saying began to make Harry think. Was Ron really the only Weasley child left? Bill and Charlie died a few years ago, both around the same time. Fred had died during the final battle. Percy had died a few days before Ginny, and George had been admitted to 's mental ward because he claimed to be his dead twin. Ron was right, he was the only one left.

"See, you know that I am all alone. My sister is dead."

"You don't think I know that. She was my wife if you forgot. I love her as much as you do."

"NO YOU DON'T! If you loved her, then she would be here instead of you. You're the reason that she's dead."

"You don't think I know that?" Harry shouted, jabbing his forefinger into his chest as he spoke. "I know that I messed up and I know that it's my fault that she's dead. Now, I have to live with that the rest of my life. You have no idea what I'm going through because I dream of her death every night. I am forced to relive her death and I know that there is nothing I can do. I regret that I turned around that night, and because of that decision, I've forced my children to pay for it. I've left them motherless, and their motherless because of me. I have to live with that the rest of my life!"

Harry stood up, tears began to soak his eyes.

"You have no idea what I am going through." Then he grabbed Ron's collar, and pulled him close. Their faces were only a few inches from each other and Harry could see Ron's eyes began to tear as well. "You have no idea." Harry whispered.

Ron pushed Harry away from him and punched him once more in the head. This was a very powerful blow and it, somehow, managed to connect with Harry's temple. Harry went sprawling, knocking over a table and everything on it. He hit the ground, facedown and unconscious. Ron stormed out the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

Snape walked in the back door a few hours later.

"I'm back, Harry." Snape called out.

No one answered, so Snape figured that Harry had been sleeping. He placed his stuff down on the kitchen table. As Snape walked down the hallway, he immediately got an uneasy feeling. He could see pictures scattered on the floor. Snape entered the living room where Harry was laying, unconscious. Instinct took over immediately and with in an instant, Snape was kneeling by Harry's side. Snape only thought about one thing.

"_Oh god, I'm too late."_

That bad feeling that Snape had when he first called Harry had disappeared after Ginny died. Was Snape right in thinking that Harry was in no more danger? Snape rolled Harry over on his back. Blood was running down Harry's chin, which could not have been a good sign. Could Harry have possibly….. No, Harry would not have ended it. Snape put his face close to Harry's, in an attempt to feel a breath. Snape gave a huge sigh of relief when he felt Harry's breathing. It was strong and even. So was Harry's pulse, which surprised Snape. What caused Harry to fall unconscious, but still have a strong pulse and normal breathing?

Suddenly, Harry's eyes opened and he began to cough violently, spraying blood and spit into the air. Snape rolled him onto his side as quick as possible, for fear that he could choke. That was when Snape noticed the bruise on Harry's jaw.

"_What the hell happened?" _Snape wondered.

He waited until Harry stopped coughing before rolling him onto his back again.

"Can you sit up, Harry?" Snape questioned.

Harry began to push himself into a sitting position, but half way up the world took a violent shift causing Harry to fall back down.

"Never mind, just lay there."

Harry didn't listen though. He rolled over and pushed himself onto all fours, slowly. He heard Snape give some type of protest, but Harry didn't listen. Harry spat blood onto the floor along with some teeth that were knocked loose. Snape flicked his wand, banishing the blood and teeth from the floor as Harry sat against the back of the couch.

"Harry, what happened?" Snape questioned, looking from Harry to the surrounding area.

There was glass everywhere and a table had been knocked over. Harry did not answer Snape, which caused him worry.

"How did you get that bruise on your jaw, Potter?" Snape asked again, wanting to find out why he had found Harry unconscious.

It was then that all the preceding events came to Harry. Ron had been there and he blamed Harry for Ginny's death. Harry couldn't keep it inside of himself anymore. He was angry at Ron, at God, and more importantly at himself. That was the other feeling that was competing with the grief that Harry still had over Ginny. Harry was going to explode if he kept it all bottled up. Harry exploded into tears, no longer being able to hold it all together. This puzzled Snape.

Sure, he was glad that Harry was doing something other than sitting their silently. Snape was puzzled by what was causing Harry to cry. Was it pain or from something else? Snape summoned a bag of ice and gently pushed it onto Harry's jaw. Harry didn't recoil, like Snape thought he would, but he seemed to almost welcome the feeling.

"Potter, you need to calm down and tell me what happened."

Snape sat and waited patiently, listening to Harry cry. It took awhile but the sobs began to soften and soon they disappeared all together.

"What happened?" Snape asked once again.

"Everyone blames me and I can't handle it anymore."

"What do you mean 'everyone'?"

"He was so angry, professor. I tried to fight but I couldn't. He was so angry that he could have killed me. He blames me for it."

"Who blames you for what." Snape questioned again.

The back door was thrown open, violently, causing both men to fall silent. Snape stood up, with a finger to his lips which told Harry to stay silent. Snape trained his wand at the hallway as the footsteps grew louder. There was a loud womanly scream as the unknown person entered the living room. Harry saw Snape tense up, then let out a sigh.

"Ms. Granger." He said lowering his wand. "What on God's green earth are you doing here?"

"Where's Harry?" She questioned, not even caring that Snape could have almost killed her.

"I'm here, Hermione." Harry called out, raising an arm up.

Snape tried to signal Harry to be quiet, but Snape had been too late. Hermione walked over and crouched down next to Harry.

"Harry, are you okay?" She questioned.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine." Harry answered hesitantly.

"What do you mean, I think?"

"I don't think you'll understand, Hermione."

"Try me."

Harry let out a long breath before speaking.

"It was just…the look in his eyes…He was so angry." Harry explained.

"Who are you talking about, Potter?" Snape questioned.

"You don't know what happened?" Hermione asked wide eyed.

"Of course I don't know what's happened." Snape answered incredulously. "I walked in no more than ten minutes ago and found him unconscious. He was just about to tell me what happened, when you ran through the door almost causing me to blast you to hell and back."

Silence fell between the three of them and the only sound that could be heard was Snape's heavy breathing.

"Ron walked into the house and we argued." Harry began. "Well it was more like he argued with me. He punched me twice and I asked him what was wrong. He said that he was all alone now and that It was my fault that his sister died. I told you 'you don't think I know that. I loved her just as much as you do.' He said that I didn't because if I did, then she would be here and I wouldn't."

Harry stopped as Hermione gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Snape stood there dumbstruck.

"_Why that arrogant, ignoramus…." _Snape thought to himself. Those words were followed by other words that would have put Tobias Snape to shame.

"Oh God, Harry. I'm so sorry. Ron told me, but didn't think it was that bad. Ron is genuinely sorry." Hermione apologized to Harry, who seemed not to hear it.

Harry did hear it. He had been staring at Snape, thinking, _"It looks like he's stuck in that spot."_

"That's it." Harry whispered to himself.

"What's it?" Hermione questioned.

"The Malfoy file." Harry said, not realizing that Hermione had asked him something.

Harry tried to stand up, but the world was still spinning.

"Let me go get it, Harry." Hermione said, running out of the room.

Waiting till she was out of ear shot, Snape spoke to Harry.

"What would you not tell Ms. Granger?"

"I told him that he didn't know what it was like, what I'm going through. What I didn't tell him was that the guilt had been threatening to drown me since she died. How did you deal with the guilt after Lily Evans died? How did it not kill you?"

"Harry, it did almost engulf me. I was this close…" Snape held up his first finger and thumb, which were less than an inch apart from each other. "This close, to ending it all. I was at my wits end and about to end everything when a friend sought me out. He was unrelenting. He wouldn't let me alone and, finally, I began talking to him about how I was feeling. If I were you, I would seek out someone to talk to. I don't feel qualified for you to confide in me, but I hear Ms. Granger listens very well. Why not try talking to her?" Snape stopped speaking as Hermione walked back into the room.

When Harry had the files in his hands, he began feverishly searching for one specific picture. After a third of the file was strew about on the floor, Harry held the picture in his hand.

"Here." He shouted, handing the picture to Hermione.

"It's a gas pedal." She stated, seeing nothing of interest within the picture.

"It's the gas pedal of the Malfoy's car. The muggle authorities who investigated their deaths said that the gas pedal was stuck. Do you see anything that is preventing it from working properly?" Harry questioned.

"I see nothing." She answered as she handed the picture to Snape, who studied it carefully.

"I see nothing obvious." Snape agreed.

"What if it was something that we couldn't see. What if it was a spell or a charm?" Harry questioned.

"I can tell you that there were no charms found in the car." Hermione informed Harry.

"That may be true, but are there not ways to make spells undetectable? I know of one spell that is undetectable."

"The imperius curse." All three said in unison.

"But Harry, that's a curse. Curse's are made to be undetectable. Especially an Unforgivable." Hermione argued.

"Professor, can't charms be made undetectable?"

"I've seen it done." Snape answered after much thought. "It is very, very, advanced magic. There are only two people that I know of that can perform that type of magic. Both are dead, mind you, but it is not entirely impossible for them to pass on their knowledge."

"Who were they?" Hermione inquired.

"The greatest wizard of all time and the greatest dark wizard of all time." Snape whispered.

"Did you see Voldemort teach this to Yaxley?"

"Why do you think it's Yaxley who killed the Malfoys?"

"When I spoke to Rodolphus Lestrange, he said 'when you find Yaxley, make sure that you kill him.' When I asked why he said, 'because he's the reason that I'm in here and the Malfoys are dead.'"

"You're betting on death eater words? Harry, that's absurd."

"We'll find out, if you let Professor Snape answer the question."

Harry and Hermione turned to Snape.

"I know that Yaxley had wanted to learn and Voldemort attempted to teach him several times, but to no avail. Yaxley knew the basics of it, but he could not master it."

"What if he could master it on his own?" Harry asked.

"It is very hard to master an advance branch of magic on your own."

"I did. I knew the basics of occulmency and I mastered it. It can be done. I think that Yaxley did just that and killed the Malfoys."

The three of them sat in silence, while Hermione and Snape attempted to comprehend what Harry just told them.

"Harry, can I be frank with you?" Hermione asked, not waiting for an answer to continue. "I think you are grasping for straws. Let me finish!" Hermione shouted as Harry tried to speak. "You're grasping for straws because you are not over Ginny's death. You know that Yaxley killed Ginny and you know that he is going to die, but you want more justice. You want more justice because you know that's what Ginny would want."

"I'm not grasping for straws." Harry interjected.

"Harry, please listen to me. I think you are doing this for Draco. You know that it's like to live without parents and, even thought he was awful to us in school, you can't stand to see him in pain. You can't stand to see anyone go through the pain that you went through. You care for people no matter how bad they have been to you. I told you this, and you weren't happy the first time I told you, but I'm going to tell you again. You have a thing for wanting to 'save people'. It makes sense based on how you were raised."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Harry questioned angrily, pulling the bag of ice away from his jaw.

"Think about it. Your aunt and uncle neglected you. You hated the feeling of it. No one tried to save you. Then Sirius came along and he was always there for you. When you saw the person that you loved and who loved you back being "tortured", you had to help him because you didn't want him to feel pain like you felt." Hermione finished tentatively, for she heard Harry breaking ice in his fist at the mention of Sirius.

"Please stop, Hermione." Harry pleaded in a whisper, but Hermione continued speaking.

"Then you found out that Professor Snape was still alive. He helped you learn who your mother was. You told me, the night that Ginny died, Yaxley shot a spell at Snape and you turned."

"ENOUGH!" Harry shouted, his hand closing around a piece of glass.

He whipped it violently at the wall, where it exploded with a loud crash. Hermione jumped and gave a quiet yelp, but she did not waver in her position. Snape stared, switching his gaze between his two former students. He watched as Harry's expression, which had been filled with venom and malice, turned to one of sadness, guilt, and grief. Harry put his head in his hands and cried. Hermione showing no fear, moved next to Harry.

"Harry, I know how sad you are and I didn't mean to make you cry." Hermione whispered as she placed a hand on his arm. "I don't know how you fell and I don't try to pretend that I do. I do know what you may be thinking though. You think that it's your fault. You are consumed with grief and guilt because you could not save the one person who mattered most to you. You are also consumed with guilt because you can't stand to see your children in pain. You are consumed with a helpless feeling because you see that they are in pain, and yet you can't do anything about it."

"It's so much more than that, Hermione." Harry whispered, looking up from behind his tears.

"Then tell me what I'm missing." Hermione said, standing up and holding out a hand.

Harry, still crying, took her hand and they sat on the couch. When Harry began to speak, Snape left the room. Walking into the kitchen, Snape swore under his breath violently. How dare Weasley think that Harry didn't love his wife? How dare he think that Harry wouldn't give up his life for her?

Snape brewed tea in the kitchen. When he was standing there, he gripped the counter hard. He had to calm down, or something was going to snap inside of him. He was angry because of Weasley, but he was also mad because he knew that what Granger said was correct. Every time that Harry almost died or was seriously hurt, it was because he tried to save someone. Snape remembered Harry turning to him that night. Harry had to make sure that Snape was okay, and it costed Harry his wife.

"If only I had blocked that spell…" Snape whispered.

"_No, I am not going down that road again." _He thought. "_Ms. Weasley died because Yaxley killed her."_

The howling of the tea kettle brought Snape out of his mind. Pouring two cups of tea, Snape whispered.

"You had to have a son who is a Gryffindor through and through, Lily. You just had to."

Snape took the cups of tea out into the living room, where he placed them on the table. None of his former students paid him any mind, which was okay with Snape. He flicked his wand. The broken glass went back to its original spot and the table, which Harry had knocked over, became upright once more.

"At least, he has someone to talk to now, Lily." He said as he entered the kitchen once again.

There he read and drank tea. Once he finished his tea, Snape put his book down and stared out the window. He seemed to be thinking but really, Snape was enjoying the quiet of the room.

"Ms. Granger will be a much better person for Harry to talk to. She knew Ginny and she can help him much more than I ever could." Snape said to the silence.

Snape was selling himself short though, because Harry kept wanting to talk to Snape. Snape knew how Harry felt and that's what he needed. He needed someone to show him that he could continue to live with the guilt and the grief. Who better than Severus Snape, a man who had once been in Harry's position.


	17. Condemned To Death

**3:3:18:17:15**

"Professor, is it wrong if I enjoy watching this man die?" Harry questioned in a whisper, even though no one would have been able to hear him over the noise.

Loads of witches and wizards had come to this room, all of them were related to Yaxley's victims. Snape began to respond to Harry, but the room fell silent. The only window in that room allowed onlookers to see into the room on the other side. The only item in that adjacent room was a chair. The door had swung open and two Azkaban guards dragged Yaxley into the room. They secured him to the chair and blindfolded him before leaving.

"I, the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt hereby sentence Yaxley to death by the way of dementors kiss for the murders of ten wizards including an Auror's wife, two on duty Aurors, the previous Minister of Magic and the parents of ministry employee Draco Malfoy."

Suddenly the lights went out. Harry could clearly see Yaxley, who was shivering as much as he possible could while being tied into a chair. That meant that the dementors were close by. The door slowly creaked open and a dementor floated into the room, knowing that it's prey was in there. Once the dementor went in for the kiss, Yaxley seemed to seize up. He began to thrash around as the dementor came in closer. Then he went still, a tiny orb of life came out of his mouth. The dementor sucked the orb into his mouth and left.

Just like that, Yaxley was dead. It was over. Harry had seen many people divert their eyes when it was about to end for the wicked man, but Harry kept his eyes on Yaxley. He, for some reason, could not take his eyes off of Yaxley. The lights in the viewing room came on and people began to leave. Harry sat there, still staring into the other room.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Snape questioned, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I'm fine." Harry whispered, then he turned to look at Snape. "I'm fine." He repeated again with a nod of his head.

Snape and Harry stood up and began to make their way through the crowd of people.

"Potter!" Harry heard the familiar voice call.

It was a voice that caused Harry to stop mid-stride and turn around. Draco Malfoy was striding up to Harry dressed in jet black, walking with a cane much like his father's.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry questioned, somewhat angrily at the sight of his arch nemesis.

"I'm sorry for what happened."

"Are you just going to remind me what I've lost because of that man. If you are, there's nothing more you need to say to me." Harry spoke with a great force as he began to walk away.

"Potter, that's not what I meant. What I meant was…I don't understand what you are going through and I'm sorry that she's gone. I also wanted to say that even though I was such a prat to you in school, I'm very thankful to you for finding my parent's killer. It was hard going through that and no one gave me anything concrete. I thank you for doing what you did." Malfoy explained, holding out a hand.

Harry eyes Malfoy wearily, trying to see if there was some other motive. Harry couldn't see one, but he was still unsure about it. He didn't trust the son of a death eater.

"Fine." Draco said, pulling his hand away. "I just want you to know that I appreciate it."

Draco walked past Harry, who was still shocked by what had transpired.

"Malfoy!" Harry blurted out.

Draco turned to look at Harry.

"You're welcome."

Draco nodded curtly, spun on his heels and walked out of the room. Harry stood in the same spot for a few minutes. When he saw Snape walk out of the room, he chased after the man. When Harry caught up, Snape asked,

"Are you up for lunch?"

"Yeah, I am." Harry replied.

"I know a good restraunt around here."

"Fine with me."

The two men didn't speak as they walked. Even though Harry had fallen silent, Snape could tell that something was wrong. Snape, however, was not going to bring it up. He was going to let Harry tell him in his own time.

They had arrived at the restraunt, found seats and ordered their food, but Harry had stayed quiet most of the time. Snape wanted to know if Harry was okay. Silence could be a dangerous thing and it most definitely was when Snape was in Harry's position.

If only he could look into the boy's mind, but Harry would be able to feel his presence. Snape would just have to wait. Harry asked something that brought Snape out of his thoughts.

"What?" Snape questioned for he heard none of the question.

"Am I a bad person if I enjoyed watching that man die?" Harry asked again.

"Do you think Molly Weasley felt bad for killing Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"No."

"Why is that?"

"She was protecting her family."

"Did you feel bad killing Voldemort?"

"No."

"And why is that?"

"Voldemort killed my parents and so many other people."

"The reason that you said no was because Voldemort took something from you, much like Bellatrix Lestrange almost took something from Molly. You are not a bad person for feeling good about Yaxley dying because he took a loved one from you."

"I don't think he should have died like that. That man deserved a slow and painful death."

"I agree with you, Harry. That was too nice of a death for that man, but now he's dead. It over and done."

"It doesn't feel like it though."

"Why?" Snape asked quizzically.

"I still feel like I am living in a nightmare. It's just not a horrible as before."

"Did you think if Yaxley died, Ginny would come back?"

"No." Harry answered, looking out the window. "I thought it wouldn't hurt as much after he died."

"Harry." Snape said, grabbing Harry's arm. "Closure will come eventually. Just give it time."

A waitress came with their food, causing both men to fall silent. When she left, Snape spoke again.

"You are not a bad person Harry. You are a good person, which terrible things have happened to."

"You sound so much like Sirius. He told me that before he died."

"So then it must be true."The two men dove into their food, eating very quickly.

"I don't enjoy watching you go through this pain, Harry. I really don't. If I could bring Ginny back, I would. I can't do that for you however. What I can do for you is to be there for help. You will learn to live with the pain. It just takes times. You'll see."

That was the last thing that Snape said to Harry before the two men departed from the food establishment. When they arrived at the Potter household, Snape turned to Harry.

"Will you okay if I run some errands?"

"Yeah. I have an appointment in about two hours."

"I should be back before then." Snape replied as he disapparated.

Snape approached the grave yard silently. It took him seconds to find that correct row of graves and he began to walk toward it. Snape wanted Harry to try to get more closure. How would Harry do that if he saw that Snape hadn't tried. As Snape got closer to the gravestone, he began to slow. He had never been to the grave for some reason. Was he afraid? By visiting that grave, did that mean that Snape had come to accept their death? Maybe.

As he came ever closer, Snape realized that he was afraid. He was afraid of the emotions that might present themselves. He had already been in that dark place once and he didn't….no he couldn't….go back to that place. He finally made it and all he did was stand there and stare. The name, Lily Potter, which was engraved on the tombstone brought tears to Snape's eyes. No one in the world knew how much Snape really missed Lily. It didn't help that he was the catalysis to her death.

"How are you, Lily?" He asked, placing a hand on the top of the tombstone and leaving a lily there.

It was her favorite flower and Lily was as beautiful as a lily.

"I'm trying my hardest for you. This is the best that I've got for now. If we want Harry to get some closure, then I figured that I had to try as well." Snape knelt to the ground before continuing to speak. "I know that full closer will come only if I stop blaming myself for your death, but I would be lying to myself. It's my fault that you are dead. You always told me that God had a plan for all of us and I believe you. I have always questioned God though, because what kind of God would fill a person's world with sadness and despair."

"I wish that I had never called you mud blood because then, you might still be alive. You've told me not to blame myself but I can't. Had I never told Voldemort about that prophecy, you would still be here. You would be here to comfort your son and you would be able to see him grow. I am sorry that I took that from you. I just wish that I could do something more. I love you so much, Lily." Snape finished as he rose.

"Until we meet again, my flower."

Snape slowly turned around and walked away, wiping tears from his eyes. Hopefully, Harry could do more than what Snape had just done.


	18. Living With Loss

**2:1:2:3:10:5**

"Dad, do you know where my dress pants and potions book is?" Albus called from the stairs.

"Your pants are downstairs with the rest of the laundry and I believe your books are in my office." Harry responded from the living room, where he was folding laundry and helping James sort through his trunk.

Snape was in the kitchen, making dinner with Lily beside him. Ah, the chaos of getting ready for Hogwarts.

"Can't we just do this in the morning?" James questioned.

"No, we most certainly can't, James. You know, you're uncle and I almost missed the train twice because we decided to pack last minute"

"Hey Al." James said as Albus came running into the living room. "What are you going to do if you get sorted into Slytherin?"

"I am not going to be sorted in Slytherin and If I was, It won't matter."

"But Al, all dark wizards come from Slytherin. Does that mean you want to be a dark wizard?"

"No, I don't and not every Slytherin is a dark wizard. Just look at Severus."

"Yeah, but he started out evil." James argued.

"He did not." Albus cried as he grabbed his clothes off the couch.

"James, stop it this instant." Harry admonished as he gave a stern look at his son.

James began to protest, but thought better of it when he caught his father's face.

"How much more packing do you need to do, Al?" Harry questioned.

"I just need to get the books out of your office and then I'm done."

"Good. Go ahead and finish. Call me if you need help closing your trunk."

"Okay, Dad." Albus said as he ran up the stairs.

"You really need to stop bugging your brother, James."

"But Dad, I'm just kidding around with him."

"I know you are, but it's starting to get out of hand."

Snape walked into the room and announced that dinner would be ready in ten minutes.

"Hey Dad, can you help me?" Albus called from his room.

"I'll be right there Al." Harry called back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James relax. "Severus, can you help James finish packing?"

"Really, Dad?" James shouted in disbelief.

Harry continued to look at Snape, who chuckled to himself slightly.

"I'll make sure that it get's done." Snape replied.

"Thank you."

Harry left the room and walked up to his son's room.

"Do you need help shutting your trunk?"

"Yeah it won't close." Albus said, throwing the lid of the trunk down in defeat.

"Let's see what we can do."

Harry knelt by his son and dug around in the trunk.

"Here we go." Harry announced, pulling the offending object out of his son's trunk.

In his hand was a picture in it's frame. Harry looked at the picture and was lost to the world. It was Harry and Ginny's favorite picture. They were sitting with their backs to a forest, the leaves in a plethora of colors. It was the day that they were married, even though Ginny and Harry were not in a dress and tux. They were wearing normal clothes. Both of them wore blue jeans. Harry was wearing his quid ditch sweatshirt from Hogwarts. Ginny was wearing her maroon and gold sweatshirt her mother had made for her. A large "G" adorned the front of the sweater. It was something that Molly Weasley always made for her children at Christmas. Harry and Ginny had been smiling. Harry had his arms wrapped around Ginny, who was sitting between his bent legs and leaning against him.

Harry whispered something into her ear. She turned around a playfully punched her new husband in the chest. Harry leaned over to stop himself from falling. He was laughing almost as much as Ginny. Then both of them turned back to face front. That was one of the greatest days of their lives. Getting married to Ginny gave Harry two things :The knowledge that he was safe from Voldemort and, more importantly, it have Harry a family. This was the picture that Harry had been holding onto after the first time that he spoke to the shrink about Ginny.

This was also Albus' favorite picture. He was the one, out of all the children, who still grieved the most. But his grief could not compare to the grief and guilt that Harry still felt.

"Dad, are you okay?" He questioned, tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harry whispered as he placed the picture back in the trunk. "That's a good picture of your mother."

"That's why I'm bringing it. Did you bring pictures of your parents when you first went to school?"

"I did not."

"Why?" Albus asked. He seemed almost ashamed that he wanted to bring the picture.

"I didn't have pictures of my parents. I know a lot of other people bring pictures of their family, but I didn't have any. There was a staff member who gave me a photo album filled with pictures of my parents."

"Do you care what house I'm in?"

"Do you care what house your in?" Harry questioned back to his son.

"Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't."

"I don't care what house you are in because I know that you will be happy in whatever house you are sorted into."

"Does mom care?"

Silence filled the room, while Harry searched for an answer.

"Mom does not care. If you don't believe me, you can ask her when we go see her after dinner."

"Do you know why else I like this picture?"

"Why?"

"It reminds me that you used to smile."

This answer shocked Harry and must have been evident on his face. He couldn't remember the last time that he had smiled.

"I shouldn't have said that." Albus whispered to himself.

"No, It's fine Al. I'm glad that you told me because I will smile more for you."

"I still miss her, Dad."

"I miss her too, Al." Harry placed a hand on his son's shoulders. "I miss her so much, Al. I am always going to miss her, but I'm never going to forget the times that we got to spend together. You won't forget either, Al. Now, let's get this trunk shut and go eat dinner."

They managed to wrestle the trunk shut and ran downstairs, joining the rest of the family for dinner.

Dusk began to settle as Harry and his kids approached the grave yard. Harry let his kids walk a little bit ahead of hi and Snape. The kids began to go toward the row of graves that that was when Harry spoke.

"Kids, go a row more. There is someone I would like to introduce you to."

The kids looked quizzically at their father, but he just smile at them. They walked down the next row and he had them stop in front of a very large grave marker.

"What are you doing?" Snape whispered in his ears.

"You'll see." Harry replied back.

They all stood in silence for a moment.

"Who is this?" James questioned.

"Kids, I would like you to meet my parents. James Potter and Lily Evans." Harry announced, motioning to the names on the stone.

"Lily Evans." Albus whispered to himself.

"What did you say Al?" Lily questioned.

"You know Lily, right Sev?" Albus questioned Severus.

"I did."

"She was one of your schoolmates…Oh dear God!" Albus exclaimed.

"What Al?" James questioned.

"Lily Evans was the woman in the story. She was the woman that you loved when you were in school." Albus explained, turning around and pointing at Severus. "If she's the woman from the story, then James was the one who bullied you in school." Severus just stood there and nodded. "Then that means…" Albus paused for a moment to think. "Dad, you're the boy from the story. You're the boy who defeated Voldemort."

"I am. I knew that you would figure it out, Al. You'll learn even more about me and my grandparents at school."

"In what subject?"

"History of Magic. It's a fairly interesting story. Hopefully, you do not have Professor Binns." Harry explained. "Let's go see Mom."

Harry ushered the kids down to Ginny's grave. When they arrived in front of Ginny's grave, Harry stood behind his children. He looked over at his parents' grave and saw Severus standing there. The potions master touched his fingers to his lips, then tap the top of the grave twice with the same hand. Severus turned and strode over to Harry and his kids.

"Are you okay?" Harry whispered.

"I'm fine." Severus replied.

Children laughing brought Harry's full attention back to his kids and the grave that they surrounded.

"Do you want to say something, Al?" Lily questioned.

Albus, instead of answering Lily, turned to look at this father.

"Can I say something alone?"

"Sure. James, Lily, let's give Al some time alone."

"Actually," Al said hurriedly. "Can you stay with me, Dad?"

"If you want me to, I will."

Snape ushered James and Lily away from the grave, after they said goodbye to their mother.

"Hey, Mom. I start at Hogwarts tomorrow and I'm super excited. I know that dad told me that you didn't care what house I was in, but I want to make sure. Do you care what house I get sorted into? I'm sure that you don't, but please give me a sign or something. I love you and not a day goes by that I don't miss you. I'll see you again when we get home for Christmas. Goodbye Mom."

"That was great, Al." Harry said as he wrapped his arms around his son's shoulders. "Do you mind if I have sometime alone with mom?"

"Go ahead." Albus allowed as he got out from under Harry's arms. He walked over and joined his brother and sister.

Harry watched Albus walk away before turning back to Ginny with a sigh.

"Look at where we are now, Ginny. Albus is turning out to be as smart as Hermione. Lily is as sweet as you and James, he's going to be as athletic as you and me combined. I know you're watching from up there, so you know how fast they are growing up. We still miss you and some of us are still learning to live with ourselves. I love you so much, Ginny." Harry whispered as he walked away.

Harry turned around, facing the grave once again, when he was two steps away from it.

"I will see you soon, sweetheart."

He turned away and went to join his family.

Harry walked into Albus' room after making sure that Lily and James were asleep.

"Al, come here." Harry whispered as he beckoned his son with a finger.

Albus followed Harry downstairs quietly.

"What dad?" he questioned when he got into the living room.

"I want to show you and Severus something." Harry answered as he dug through a trunk.

When he found the big red book he took a seat on the couch next to Albus, who was in between him and Severus.

"Do you remember how you asked me if I had any pictures of my parents?" Harry questioned Albus, who nodded in remembrance.

"Well, this book was given to me by a staff member who knew my parents. I've only shown this to one other person and that was your mother. I think that you and Severus should look through this together. Go ahead." Harry urged after Albus and Severus looked at him baffled.

Albus opened the book tentatively and spent a long time looking through the pictures. Severus looked over Albus' shoulder and Harry saw him smile at a picture of Lily and baby Harry. It was the first time that Harry had seen Severus smile in real life.

"What was grandma like?" Albus asked Severus, know that he had more information on the subject.

"Your grandmother was the most beautiful witch that I've ever known. She was also very, very smart. Your aunt is a lot like her. Both are muggleborns and they both are very bright. Your grandmother was a potions genius and she was such a good friend. She was the only one in my life, beside my mother, that treated me with respect. She was such a gentle and caring person. You remind me much of her, Albus. You are a very bright and caring person, just like she was. I think you will do a wonderful job at Hogwarts."

"You said that she was muggleborn? What did her parents think of her magic?"

"Her parents were very supportive. Her sister; however, was a very cruel person. She was very jealous that Lily had magic."

Albus continued to scour the photo album and closed it when he was done.

"I think you missed a picture, Al." Harry said, as he saw a page that hadn't been there before.

Albus opened the back cover and stared at the last picture. Severus and Harry leaned forward.

"I've never seen that picture before." Harry stated.

Snape leaned over, looked more closely at the picture, and couldn't help but to smile. The picture was of Lily and Snape, with the Hogwarts castle behind them. He remembered that day clearly because that was the first time that Lily Evans had ever held Severus Snape's hand

"When was this taken?" Harry questioned.

"Hagrid took this picture at the end of our first year."

"That's a very nice picture of you and grandma." Albus commented.

"Thank you, Albus." Severus whispered.

Harry continued to look at the picture for a long time, then the clock chimed ten.

"It's time for bed, Al. We have an early start tomorrow."

"Alright." Albus agreed as he stood up. "Good night Dad. Good night Severus." He whispered before leaving the room.

"We should go to bed as well." Severus suggested after he heard Albus' door shut.

Harry was still looking at the pictures. He remembered the day that he got this book. He spent the entire train ride home looking through it, wanting to know more about his parents.

It was surprising, looking back to that day, how much he now knew about his parents. It was thanks to Severus and Sirius. Harry had to thank Sirius because he was the only one who told Harry about his father, but he had to thank Severus more. Severus taught him about his mother.

Harry now had a connection with Lily Evans because they had shared something in common. Not just their eye color or their caring nature. No, it ran much deeper than that because they now shared a common friend, Severus Snape.

"Thank you, Sev." Harry responded as he put the photo album away.

"Is there a specific reason why you are thanking me?"

"I'm thankful for everything that you have done. I thank you for being a mentor and a friend."

"You're welcome Harry." Severus replied as the two men walked out of the living room and headed to bed.


	19. Platform 9 34

James was already getting on the train and Harry was saying goodbye to Albus.

"Oh, Dad. I had a dream last night. It was about mom and she spoke to me. She told me that she didn't care what house I was sorted into. She also told me that she loved me very much. She loves everyone very much. After that dream, I really don't care what house I'm in anymore."

"I'm glad that you got that solved, Al. Now listen to me boys." Harry ushered his kids closer when James approached them. "I want you two to behave. I may not be there but your mother is always watching. Remember that she loves you very much and that I do too. I will see you two for Christmas."

The boys gave their family a hug.

"I love you, Severus." Albus said as he hugged him.

"I love you too, Al."

When the boys finished, they ran onto the train. Severus, Lily, and Harry watched as the train began to roll out of the station. Albus waved to Harry as he walked along side the train. Harry waved back to his son. The last of the scarlet red train left the station and Harry's hand was still raised in farewell. He lowered his hand and Severus put a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be okay." He reassured Harry.

"I know, Sev."

"They are going to be such good people. Your parents would be proud of you. I am proud of you and, more importantly, Ginny is very proud of you."


End file.
